Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§8546 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 111— - WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - FEDERAL WEATHER COORDINATION › § 8546

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director of the National Weather Service may create the NOAA Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program. The program must give yearly awards to people or groups who use NOAA Weather Radio or other early-warning tools and apps to save lives or protect property and to highlight real-time warning tools. Weather Field Offices must send a list of nominees to the Director every year. Local broadcasters, device makers, app developers, and emergency or safety officials can suggest nominees to their Weather Field Office. The Director must pick winners each year and arrange the awards so the public learns more about NOAA Weather Radio and similar warning tools.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §8546

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director of the National Weather Service is authorized to establish the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program. This award program shall provide annual awards to honor individuals or organizations that use or provide National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards receivers or transmitters to save lives and protect property. Individuals or organizations that utilize other early warning tools or applications also qualify for this award.

(b)This award program draws attention to the life-saving work of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Ready All Hazards Program, as well as emerging tools and applications, that provide real-time warning to individuals and communities of severe weather or other hazardous conditions.

(c)(1)Nominations for this award shall be made annually by the Weather Field Offices to the Director of the National Weather Service. Broadcast meteorologists, weather radio manufacturers and weather warning tool and application developers, emergency managers, and public safety officials may nominate individuals or organizations to their local Weather Field Offices, but the final list of award nominees must come from the Weather Field Offices.

(2)Annually, the Director of the National Weather Service shall choose winners of this award whose timely actions, based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards receivers or transmitters or other early warning tools and applications, saved lives or property, or demonstrated public service in support of weather or all hazard warnings.

(3)The Director of the National Weather Service shall establish a means of making these awards to provide maximum public awareness of the importance of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio, and such other warning tools and applications as are represented in the awards.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 8546

Title 15 — Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73