Title 15Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73

§8547 Report on contract positions at National Weather Service

Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 111— - WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - FEDERAL WEATHER COORDINATION › § 8547

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Under Secretary must send Congress, within 180 days after April 18, 2017, a report about how contractors were used at the National Weather Service during the most recently finished fiscal year. The report must cover eight things: counts of full‑time equivalent (FTE) federal employees and FTE contractors by the General Schedule (GS) level that best matches their work; the number of vacancies on the day before April 18, 2017 by GS level; the five most common contractor jobs and their GS equivalents and the percent of those contractors who previously worked at the NWS or another NOAA entity; the average FTE pay for federal employees and for contractors by GS level; and a description of actions the Under Secretary took in response to issues raised by the Commerce Inspector General, including the Investigative Report dated June 2, 2015 (OIG–12–0447). After that, for each later fiscal year the Under Secretary must post the same information on a public website within 180 days after the fiscal year ends.

Full Legal Text

Title 15, §8547

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than 180 days after April 18, 2017, the Under Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the use of contractors at the National Weather Service for the most recently completed fiscal year.
(b)The report required by subsection (a) shall include, with respect to the most recently completed fiscal year, the following:
(1)The total number of full-time equivalent employees at the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(2)The total number of full-time equivalent contractors at the National Weather Service, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule that most closely approximates their duties.
(3)The total number of vacant positions at the National Weather Service on the day before April 18, 2017, disaggregated by each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(4)The five most common positions filled by full-time equivalent contractors at the National Weather Service and the equivalent level of the General Schedule that most closely approximates the duties of such positions.
(5)Of the positions identified under paragraph (4), the percentage of full-time equivalent contractors in those positions that have held a prior position at the National Weather Service or another entity in National 11 So in original. Probably should be preceded by “the”. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
(6)The average full-time equivalent salary for Federal employees at the National Weather Service for each equivalent level of the General Schedule.
(7)The average salary for full-time equivalent contractors performing at each equivalent level of the General Schedule at the National Weather Service.
(8)A description of any actions taken by the Under Secretary to respond to the issues raised by the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce regarding the hiring of former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees as contractors at the National Weather Service such as the issues raised in the Investigative Report dated June 2, 2015 (OIG–12–0447).
(c)For each fiscal year after the fiscal year covered by the report required by subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall, not later than 180 days after the completion of the fiscal year, publish on a publicly accessible Internet website the information described in paragraphs (1) through (8) of subsection (b) for such fiscal year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (b), is set out under section 5332 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

15 U.S.C. § 8547

Title 15Commerce and Trade

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73