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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9219 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9219
To establish the Federal Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2024
Mr. Miller of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Lucas) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Federal Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Data Taxpayer Protection
Act''.
SEC. 2. FEDERAL COMMISSION ON WEATHER RISK DATA AND MODELING.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish in the
Department of Commerce a commission to be known as the ``Federal
Commission on Weather Risk Data and Modeling'' (in this section
referred to as the ``Commission'').
(b) Duties.--The duties of the Commission are the following:
(1) To establish data, metadata, and service standards and
specifications required for the validation of weather risk data
and models under subsection (c).
(2) To identify the quality, reliability, usability,
timeliness, and accuracy of key data inputs and parameters
provided by the private sector and used in weather risk data
and models, including the following:
(A) Data related to frequency and severity of
natural hazards.
(B) Data related to natural hazards exposures,
vulnerability, adaptation, and mitigation in built
environments, including infrastructure, economic
activity, and human population.
(C) Data related to the relationship and scientific
connections between subparagraphs (A) and (B),
including types of natural hazards and the specific
damages such natural hazards cause.
(3) To develop standardized methodologies and protocols for
the collection, validation, and analysis of such key private
sector data inputs and parameters utilized or purchased by
Federal departments and agencies.
(4) To facilitate the sharing and dissemination of weather
risk data and models among the following:
(A) State, local, and Tribal governments.
(B) Federal departments and agencies.
(C) Appropriate representatives of the insurance
industry.
(D) Appropriate representatives of the banking
industry.
(E) Appropriate representatives of the weather
industry.
(F) Any other relevant stakeholders as determined
by the Commission.
(5) To coordinate data collection, analysis, and modeling
activities for weather risk data and models with the following:
(A) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(B) The National Institute of Standards and
Technology.
(C) The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration.
(D) The Department of Energy.
(E) The Environmental Protection Agency.
(F) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(G) Any other relevant Federal departments and
agencies as determined by the Commission.
(6) To make recommendations to Federal departments and
agencies on improving the quality, accuracy, consistency, and
transparency of weather risk data models.
(c) Weather Risk Data and Model Validation.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall implement validation
standards and specifications that ensure the accuracy and
reliability of weather risk data and models utilized or
purchased from the private sector by Federal departments and
agencies.
(2) Criteria.--In carrying out this subsection, the
Commission shall engage with Federal departments and agencies,
and external partners and providers, to develop and test
validation standards and specifications in order to evaluate
all sources and types of weather risk data and models for use
by the Federal Government. Not later than one year after such
development of such standards and specifications, such
standards and specifications shall be used to evaluate current
federally used weather risk data and models.
(3) Pilot contracts.--The Commission shall seek, through an
open competition, to enter into contracts with private sector
entities capable of providing weather risk data and models that
can be evaluated to satisfy the standards and specifications
implemented pursuant to paragraph (1). Not later than six
months after entering into any such contract, the Commission,
to the maximum extent practicable, shall seek to recommend
submission of an application under paragraph (4) after
determining if such data and models satisfy such standards and
specifications.
(4) Applications.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act and on a continuous basis
thereafter, the Commission shall consider applications for
review of weather risk data and models for the purpose of
validating such model for use by Federal departments and
agencies. In order to have weather risk data or models reviewed
by the Commission, the owner of such data or model shall submit
to the Commission an application at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information as the Commission may require.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be co-
chaired by the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and be composed of
members who are qualified to provide advice regarding weather
risk data and models, including, to the maximum extent
practicable, from the following entities:
(A) One representative of a State or local
government that has experience with responding to
natural hazards.
(B) One representative of a State regulatory entity
that utilizes or purchases weather risk data or models.
(C) One representative of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency.
(D) One representative of the United States Forest
Service who has experience with wildfire modeling.
(E) One representative of a Federal department or
agency that utilizes or purchases weather risk data or
models.
(F) One representative of an organization
representing rural communities that has experience with
community planning.
(G) One representative of an organization
representing urban communities that has experience with
community planning.
(H) One representative of the insurance industry
who has experience with weather risk data or modeling.
(I) One representative of the banking industry who
has experience with weather risk data or modeling.
(J) One representative of a non-governmental
organization that has experience with weather risk data
or modeling.
(K) One representative of the engineering industry
who has experience with structural engineering related
to natural hazards.
(L) One representative of an institution of higher
education that has experience with conducting research
on weather risk data or models.
(M) One representative of an institution of higher
education that has experience with using artificial
intelligence to improve weather risk data or modeling.
(2) Term.--Each member of the Commission shall be appointed
for a term of four years, not to exceed a total of eight non-
consecutive years, except that the term of six of the members
who are initially appointed to membership on the Commission
shall be two years. To the maximum extent practicable, the co-
chairs of the Commission shall ensure staggered terms of
members to avoid complete turnovers of the Commission
membership.
(3) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled
in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.
(4) Basic pay.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), members of the Commission shall be paid at a rate
equal to the daily equivalent of the annual rate of
basic pay prescribed for level IV of the Executive
Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States
Code, for each day (including travel time) during which
such member is engaged in the actual performance of
duties vested in the Commission.
(B) Prohibition of compensation of federal
employees.--Members of the Commission who are full-time
officers or employees of the United States may not
receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by
reason of their service on the Commission.
(d) Staff of Commission.--
(1) Personnel.--Upon request of the Commission, the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology may assign any of the personnel of
their respective agencies to the Commission to assist the
Commission in carrying out the duties described in subsection
(b).
(2) Other federal departments and agencies.--Upon request
of the Commission the head of any Federal department or agency
may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of
such department or agency to the Commission to assist the
Commission in carrying out the duties described in subsection
(b).
(3) Experts and consultants.--The Commission may procure
temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of
title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do
not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay
prescribed for level IV of the Executive Schedule under section
5315 of that title.
(e) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
establishment of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the
President and Congress a report that includes the following:
(1) An analysis of the quality, reliability, usability,
timeliness, and accuracy of weather risk models and data.
(2) An assessment of the extent to which Federal
departments and agencies utilize or purchase weather risk data
or models produced by the private sector.
(3) A list of the key weather risk data and model inputs
and parameters that are needed to integrate long-term climate
models and short-term catastrophe models into weather risk data
and models.
(f) Prohibition of Non-Approved Weather Risk Data and Models.--Not
later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act,
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the head of each Federal
department or agency shall ensure such department or agency, as the
case may be, does not utilize or purchase any weather risk data or
model that does not meet the validation standards and specifications
implemented by the Commission pursuant to subsection (c)(1).
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section
5002(3) of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act
of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401(3); enacted as division E of the
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2021; Public Law 116-283).
(2) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1001).
(3) Natural hazards.--The term ``natural hazards'' means
extreme weather or water events and other natural phenomena,
including wildfire, drought, flooding, damaging winds,
tornadoes, and precipitation, that have a high risk of loss of
life or property.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
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