# 119-s-2583: NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act

119-s-2583, NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2583
- 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-2583
- Congress: 119
- Title: NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-07-31
- Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**This bill would modernize and expand the nationwide NOAA Weather Radio network** to deliver 24/7, resilient weather and emergency broadcasts. It would fund upgrades, expand coverage into underserved and high-risk areas, and improve messaging and backup systems. - Families and households: People in areas with poor cellular or satellite service would get more reliable alerts, including non-weather emergency messages and more geographically specific warnings. - State and local emergency managers: New tools like partial-county notifications, central aggregation of real-time feeds, and improved cross-agency coordination would help local response and warning distribution. - NOAA operations and infrastructure: The bill would shift to IP-based communications, acquire additional transmitters for high-warning and underserved areas, add satellite or cloud dissemination and backup options, research alternative transmission methods, require a one-year assessment, and codify the Weather Ready All Hazards Award Program as Title VII Sec. 702. *Would authorize new federal spending: $25.0 million annually for operations in FY2026–2031 and $100.0 million for modernization in FY2026, which, if appropriated, would increase federal outlays.*

## Cosponsors (5)

- Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Modernize and Fund Weather Radio: benefit, high. This bill would require NOAA to modernize and maintain a nationwide Weather Radio network that runs 24/7 and broadcasts watches and warnings. It would authorize $25 million each year for fiscal years 2026–2031 to operate the system and $100 million for fiscal year 2026 (available until expended) fo…
- NOAA staffing and job classifications: benefit, medium. This bill would require NOAA to send Congress a 10‑year staffing plan within 180 days. The plan would cover the National Weather Service and NOAA jobs that support forecasts and warnings, including data collection, equipment upkeep, IT, modeling, and research roles. The bill would also require OMB…
- Standards for Flash Flood Alerts: benefit, medium. This bill would direct NIST, in consultation with NOAA, to develop standards for flash flood emergency alert systems in the 100‑year floodplain. Standards must work for communities without mobile broadband, local warning systems, or satellite service. NOAA and NIST must produce a report to the Sena…

## Related bills

- 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025
- 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [119-s-2583 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2583)

## Related
- [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071)
- [119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-524)
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-410)
- [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2583 (as of 2026-09-10).