# 119-s-3795: Radar Next Program Act of 2026

119-s-3795, Radar Next Program Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3795
- 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-3795
- Congress: 119
- Title: Radar Next Program Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-02-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Modernize and replace the NEXRAD radar network.** This bill would create the Radar Next Program to guide upgrades to the United States weather radar system and plan a phased replacement of the National Weather Service's NEXRAD radars. - Families and communities would get better detection of heavy precipitation and severe storms over a larger population area through expanded radar coverage and new data sources. - Emergency managers, public-safety officials, and utilities would gain a weather surveillance radar testbed to evaluate commercial radars and get technical support for small, gap-filling radars where terrain limits large systems. - NOAA staff, meteorologists, and industry partners would collaborate with the Under Secretary to set performance and coverage requirements, build a phased-array radar prototype, identify sites (including locations more than 75 miles from current NEXRAD stations), and deliver a plan to replace NEXRAD by Sept 30, 2040.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2026-02-05T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Modernize U.S. weather radar network: benefit, high. If enacted, this bill would create the Radar Next Program led by the Under Secretary, with input from the National Weather Service Director. The program would set performance and coverage rules for the U.S. weather radar network, including territories. It would plan to replace the existing NEXRAD s…

## Related bills

- 119-s-524: Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026
- 119-s-2975: PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025
- 119-s-725: Enhancing First Response Act

## Sources
- [119-s-3795 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3795)

## Related
- [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-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-4668: Protect College Sports Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4668)
- [119-s-2975: PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2975)
- [119-s-725: Enhancing First Response Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-725)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3795 (as of 2026-09-10).