# 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 119-s-3923, Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-18). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923 - As of: 2026-10-18 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-3923 - Congress: 119 - Title: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026 - Status: in_committee - Introduced: 2026-02-25 - Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (R-TX) - Cosponsors: 11 - Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-10-18 ## Summary **Modernize and expand NOAA's weather, water, and ocean observing, modeling, and public-warning systems** to deliver faster, more accurate forecasts and stronger decision tools for hazards from tornadoes to tsunamis, wildfires, and harmful algal blooms. It creates new programs, sets multiyear funding through FY2030, and requires reporting, interagency coordination, and workforce protections. - Families and coastal communities get stronger warnings and planning tools through updated tsunami forecasting, coastal flood and storm surge programs, and a modernized NOAA Weather Radio. Key authorizations include $30 million per year for tsunami activities and $25 million per year for NOAA Weather Radio operations plus $100 million for modernization in FY2026. - Farmers, water managers, and drought‑vulnerable areas gain better subseasonal‑to‑seasonal forecasts, expanded streamgages, and a Next Generation Water Observing System to improve water supply and reservoir planning. The bill authorizes $40 million per year for S2S pilots and $30 million for initial water observing basins in FY2026. - Emergency responders and the National Weather Service workforce receive a coordinated Fire Weather Services Program, an Incident Meteorologist Service, hiring and relocation protections, and rising fire‑weather funding that grows from $15 million in FY2026 to $50 million in FY2030. *Authorizes multiple new and expanded funding lines across NOAA programs, including a $311 million FY2026 AI/modeling appropriation, increasing federal spending authority through FY2030.* ## Cosponsors (11) - Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA] (D-WA), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK] (R-AK), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS] (R-KS), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sheehy, Tim [R-MT] (R-MT), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-02-25T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC] (R-NC), 2026-03-02T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-03-02T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT] (R-UT), 2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - New National Fire Weather Services: benefit, high. If enacted, NOAA would create a Fire Weather Services program and submit a program plan and workforce assessments to Congress within 18 months. The bill would create a Fire Weather Testbed, an Incident Meteorologist Service to deploy experts to major events, and require annual post-fire-season surv… - Planning AI, HPC, and Data Upgrades: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would make NOAA plan and prepare major computing, data, and AI upgrades for weather and Earth-system prediction. NOAA must publish a 10-year high-performance computing and data plan within 1 year and update it through 2035, and AWIPS must have a cloud transition strategy by Sep… - Stronger warnings and post‑storm data: benefit, high. If enacted, NOAA Weather Radio would be modernized to broadcast watches, warnings, and hazard information 24/7 and be hardened to work during power and cell outages. The bill would require standards for flash flood alerts that work for places without broadband or local warning systems. It would bro… - Satellite and commercial data planning: benefit, high. If enacted, NOAA would run a NESDIS partnership and Transition Program to move satellite research into operations and submit annual plans to Congress. The bill directs NOAA to develop and keep GeoXO geostationary capabilities and to aim for a launch by 2032, subject to appropriations. It would requ… - NOAA staffing and pay changes: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the NWS Director to send hiring assessments to Congress within one year and every year after. NOAA would hire an outside group to study health effects of rotating shifts and could run two-year pilots for staffing and decision-support improvements. For calendar yea… - New chemical test for seafood origin: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require agency leaders to develop a standard chemical-analysis method to identify the country of origin for seafood. The method must serve federal and state law enforcement, be fast, use a field kit one person can carry, and try to work on prepared foods where practicable… - Aviation and surface observations upgrade: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA and the FAA would enter a weather services agreement for at least five years so NOAA can provide aviation weather services. FAA would, with NOAA, seek proposals to see whether commercial services can safely supplement NOAA services at central weather units. The bill would also asse… - Coastal Flood and Surge Forecasting: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a Coastal Flooding and Storm Surge Forecast Improvement Program. NOAA would make probabilistic coastal inundation estimates, improve surge and wave models with USGS, incorporate new sensors into operations, and produce a program plan within 180 days and a proposed… - Coastal observing and fisheries data: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would extend ICOS authorizations for FY2026–2030 and require at least 7.5% of ICOS funds go to each regional coastal observing system in existence on January 1, 2025. The ICOS program would be required to improve data management and include post‑storm evaluations in its Congres… - Coordinated weather research program: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Under Secretary would issue a coordinated weather research and research-to-operations plan within two years and update it at least every two years. The bill would also create a national program focused on improving precipitation forecasts, including extreme events like atmospheric r… - Funding for Harmful Algal Blooms: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would authorize $19.5 million per year to NOAA and $8 million per year to EPA for harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030. The bill would also allow transfers of these funds to other federal agencies only when an appropriations Act spec… - More NOAA Research and Data Pilots: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would fund and run many NOAA research programs and pilots to improve forecasts. It would authorize $166,736,000 for NOAA research in FY2026, $40,000,000 per year for subseasonal-to-seasonal pilots (FY2026–2030), and set up commercial data buying and pilot programs. The bill als… - National harmful algal bloom program: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA would set up a national network to monitor and forecast harmful algal blooms (HABs). The network would combine federal, state, regional, and local data and use the Water Quality Portal to share freshwater and coastal HAB data. The bill would also create a national HAB incubator to… - National heat health system: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would create a National Integrated Heat Health Information System at NOAA to improve extreme-heat forecasts, warnings, and decision tools. It would set up an interagency committee to guide heat-health research and tools. The bill would authorize $5,000,000 per year for each fis… - Stronger interagency weather council: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would rename and strengthen the interagency meteorology council and make the OSTP Director and NOAA Under Secretary co‑chairs. The council would keep a public inventory of meteorological observation data, ask private companies for updates every two years for ten years, and repo… - Tsunami Funding and State Aid: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would authorize $30 million per year for tsunami programs for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030. At least 27% of each year's money must go to State-level tsunami hazard mitigation and at least 8% to tsunami research. The bill also requires government-to-government consultation… - Water monitoring and drought forecasting: benefit, medium. If enacted, the USGS would create a Next Generation Water Observing System with $30,000,000 for FY2026 for 10 initial basins to add real‑time water quantity and quality sensors. The bill raises priority streamgage funding and priorities and authorizes $30,000,000 per year for streamgage work for FY… - NOAA capital investment planning: benefit, medium. If enacted, NOAA would send a future‑years capital investment plan to Congress within 60 days after the President's budget is submitted. The plan must list major fleet, aircraft, and space platform projects, show the President's proposed funding for each, total cost to finish, projected funding for… - Interagency Coordination and Oversight: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require federal agencies to cooperate with the NOAA Under Secretary on weather and related services and allow the Under Secretary to establish agreements to share systems, data, and technologies. The bill also directs NOAA to avoid duplicating other federal research activ… - Marine Research, Fleet, and Enforcement Help: benefit, low. If enacted, NOAA and partners would publish planned fisheries stock assessments and surveys by Feb. 1 each year and could provide discretionary technical help to Pacific Island partners if money is available. The NSF must deliver a cybersecurity and telecommunications plan for the U.S. Academic Res… - New Operational Tools and Partner Support: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would let NOAA use crewed and uncrewed aerial and surface systems and mobile commercial observing systems for observations and storm damage assessment and allow NOAA to buy such systems and training. NOAA would also collect social and economic data about how people respond to h… - Landslide partnerships and grants: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would set up regional landslide partnerships in areas the Secretary finds have high landslide hazard and expand landslide preparedness grant eligibility to expressly include Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and certain colleges. The law would… - More landslide early-warning funding: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would raise the authorized annual funding for the National Landslide Preparedness Act from prior levels to $35,000,000. At least $10,000,000 of that amount would have to fund purchase, deployment, and repair of landslide early warning systems in high-risk areas. The statute's f… - NOAA five-year staffing plan: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would require the Under Secretary to submit a 5-year staffing plan to Congress within 180 days of enactment. The plan would cover the National Weather Service and NOAA positions that support forecasts and warnings. It must address data collection for watches and warnings, equip… ## Related bills - 119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 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. - 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona. - 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina. - 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan. ## Sources - [119-s-3923 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3923) ## Related - [119-s-1071: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1071) - [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) - [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897) - [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801) - [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923 (as of 2026-10-18).