Photo: FortunePhoto: FortuneUnited States
Senate unanimously passes bill reauthorizing NOAA weather research and forecasting programs
The Weather Act reauthorization now heads to the House, where it could shape NOAA funding targets and wildfire and flood forecasting programs.
What happened
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, known as the Weather Act. senate.gov+1 The bill, designated S.3923, was passed late on a Tuesday evening by unanimous consent. balancedweather.substack.com The legislation authorizes programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration intended to strengthen weather research and forecasting. senate.gov The bill would establish an official Fire Weather Services Program within NOAA and fund research and acquisition of new technology to improve wildfire condition forecasts. senate.gov It would also create an atmospheric river forecast improvement program to advance forecasts and warnings for atmospheric rivers. senate.gov
Around it
The bill is a reauthorization of the original Weather Act, which Congress passed and President Trump signed into law in 2017. balancedweather.substack.com The measure was led by Senator Maria Cantwell and Senator Ted Cruz, the leaders of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. senate.gov+1 The sources note that authorization bills set funding targets and codify congressional intent but do not themselves appropriate money. balancedweather.substack.com The sources state that in the western United States atmospheric rivers account for 84% of flood damages, costing about $1.1 billion a year. senate.gov
What comes next
The bill moves to the House of Representatives for consideration in the lame duck session. balancedweather.substack.com
Sources
More from the United States
- Photo: Fortune
Photo: Heatmap News- Photo: Andy Feliciotti, Unsplash