# 119-s-258: TORNADO Act

119-s-258, TORNADO Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-258
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-258
- Congress: 119
- Title: TORNADO Act
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2025-01-27
- Sponsor: Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 9
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Improve NOAA's hazardous weather communication and tornado forecasting.** This bill would create a Hazard Risk Communication Office to simplify public warnings, require a WARN-ON-FORECAST strategic plan, modernize communication systems, expand tornado research, and mandate post-storm assessments to improve how people receive and act on severe weather information. - Families and communities: Households would receive clearer, more timely warnings and faster public post-storm data to guide response and recovery. - Emergency managers and NOAA operations: Emergency managers would get a WARN-ON-FORECAST strategic plan within one year that prioritizes high-resolution probabilistic forecasts, better observations, and coordinated public messaging. - Researchers and minority-serving institutions: The bill codifies and expands VORTEX-USA research on tornado formation and warning delivery and authorizes targeted grants that prioritize minority-serving institutions. *Would authorize about $11.0 million per year for 2025–2032, roughly $88.0 million in authorizations, including at least $2.0 million annually for grants.*

## Cosponsors (9)

- Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] (R-IA), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (R-IN), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2025-01-30T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Clearer national hazard communications: benefit, high. If enacted, NOAA would create a Hazard Risk Communication Office to make warnings clearer and more consistent. The office would set standard words, create best practices, and track communication metrics. NOAA would keep a public data repository and test ways to stop online tampering, like digital w…
- New funding for tornado research: benefit, high. If enacted, the VORTEX-USA program would be funded and refocused on tornado forecasts and warnings. The bill authorizes $11 million per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2032. At least $2 million each year must fund research grants, which may be prioritized for minority-serving institutions.
- Plan for high-resolution tornado forecasts: benefit, high. If enacted, the Under Secretary would deliver a WARN-ON-FORECAST strategic plan within one year. The plan would set priorities for high-resolution probabilistic forecasts, computing needs, radars, satellites, and use of drones. It would include clear public messaging guidance and consider vulnerabl…
- Post-storm surveys and staff support: benefit, high. If enacted, NOAA would conduct coordinated post-storm surveys after societally important hazardous events. The agency would share survey data publicly as soon as practicable and expand community impact studies. NOAA would also study drone use for assessments and provide training and counseling to s…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.

## Sources
- [119-s-258 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/258)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-2296: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2296)
- [119-s-4784: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4784)
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-258 (as of 2026-09-10).