National Weather Safety Board Act
Sponsored By: Representative Sorensen
Introduced
Summary
National Weather Safety Board would create an independent federal board to investigate major severe‑weather disasters and publish public recommendations to improve preparedness and response.
Show full summary
- Families and communities hit by extreme storms would get formal investigations when events are declared major disasters or cause at least 10 fatalities or 100 injuries. The Board would review whether forecasts, warnings, and responses protected lives and property.
- Federal agencies and emergency managers such as FEMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Communications Commission could be investigated and required to provide data. The Board may issue subpoenas enforceable in Federal district court and must vote within 14 days after a disaster is declared on whether to investigate.
- Governance would include at least 7 presidentially appointed members with no more than 4 from one party, 5‑year terms, and limited removal rules. The Board must produce preliminary reports within 90 days after a disaster concludes and final reports within 20 months, and it would sunset 5 years after the final member is confirmed.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Board power to investigate disasters
This bill would require the Board to build an information system within 120 days of its start that shows people impacted, severity, and economic effects for a covered major disaster. Within 14 days after a severe weather event is declared a covered major disaster, the Board would vote on whether to investigate. If a quorum votes yes, the Board could investigate preparedness and responses by entities such as the Army Corps of Engineers, DHS (including FEMA), the FCC, NOAA, and the National Weather Service. The Board would be able to request needed data and issue subpoenas enforceable in Federal district court.
New national weather safety board
This bill would create a National Weather Safety Board within 180 days of enactment. The President would appoint at least seven members with Senate confirmation, and no more than four could be from the same party. NOAA and DHS would jointly send candidate lists and candidates must come from specified science, social science, academic, or emergency management backgrounds. Board members would serve five-year terms, could stay on until successors are named, and the President could remove members only for neglect of duty or malfeasance. The Board could open offices as needed to carry out investigations and five members would make a quorum.
Public reports and recommendations after disasters
This bill would require a preliminary report within 90 days after the conclusion of a covered major disaster to two congressional committees and to the President on request. It would also require a final report within 20 months after the Board begins an investigation with findings and recommendations for each entity investigated. The Board would have to post those recommendations, the entity named, and whether each recommendation was implemented on a public website.
Board ends five years after confirmation
This bill would terminate the Safety Board five years after the final Board member is confirmed by the Senate. That means the Board's investigatory and reporting powers would stop on that date, reducing the duration of federal oversight created by the bill.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sorensen
IL • D
Cosponsors
Tokuda
HI • D
Sponsored 3/26/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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