USC Chapter 9

in effect

15 U.S.C. § 312 Employees

The National Weather Service shall consist of such civilian employees as Congress may annually provide for and as may be necessary to properly perform the duties devolving on said Service by law.

15 U.S.C. § 313 Duties of Secretary of Commerce

The Secretary of Commerce shall have charge of the forecasting of weather, the issue of storm warnings, the display of weather and flood signals for the benefit of agriculture, commerce, and navigation, the gauging and reporting of rivers, the maintenance and operation of seacoast telegraph lines and the collection and transmission of marine intelligence for the benefit of commerce and navigation, the reporting of temperature and rain-fall conditions for the cotton interests, the display of frost and cold-wave signals, the distribution of meteorological information in the interests of agriculture and commerce, and the taking of such meteorological observations as may be necessary to establish and record the climatic conditions of the United States, or as are essential for the proper execution of the foregoing duties.

15 U.S.C. § 313a Establishment of meteorological observation stations in the Arctic region

In order to improve the weather forecasting service of the United States and to promote safety and efficiency in civil air navigation to the highest possible degree, the Secretary of Commerce shall, in addition to his other functions and duties, take such action as may be necessary in the development of an international basic meteorological reporting network in the Arctic region of the Western Hemisphere, including the establishment, operation, and maintenance of such reporting stations in cooperation with the State Department and other United States governmental departments and agencies, with the meteorological services of foreign countries and with persons engaged in air commerce.

15 U.S.C. § 313b Institute for Aviation Weather Prediction

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish an Institute for Aviation Weather Prediction. The Institute shall provide forecasts, weather warnings, and other weather services to the United States aviation community. The Institute shall expand upon the activities of the aviation unit currently at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, Missouri, and shall be established in the Kansas City 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma. Missouri 1 area. The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall provide a full and fair opportunity for employees at the National Severe Storms Center to assume comparable duties and responsibilities within the Institute.

15 U.S.C. § 313c Authorized activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, through the United States Weather Research Program, shall— (1) improve the capability to accurately forecast inland flooding (including inland flooding influenced by coastal and ocean storms) through research and modeling; (2) develop, test, and deploy a new flood warning index that will give the public and emergency management officials fuller, clearer, and more accurate information about the risks and dangers posed by expected floods; (3) train emergency management officials, National Weather Service personnel, meteorologists, and others as appropriate regarding improved forecasting techniques for inland flooding, risk management techniques, and use of the inland flood warning index developed under paragraph (2); (4) conduct outreach and education activities for local meteorologists and the public regarding the dangers and risks associated with inland flooding and the use and understanding of the inland flood warning index developed under paragraph (2); and (5) assess, through research and analysis of previous trends, among other activities—(A) the long-term trends in frequency and severity of inland flooding; and (B) how shifts in climate, development, and erosion patterns might make certain regions vulnerable to more continual or escalating flood damage in the future.

15 U.S.C. § 313d NIDIS program

(a) In generalThe Under Secretary, through the National Weather Service and other appropriate weather and climate programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a National Integrated Drought Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs. (b) System functionsThe National Integrated Drought Information System shall—(1) provide an effective drought early warning system that—(A) collects and integrates information on the key indicators of drought and drought impacts, including precipitation, soil moisture, and evaporative demand, in order to make usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought and assessments of the severity of drought conditions and impacts; and (B) provides such information, forecasts, and assessments on both national and regional levels; (2) communicate drought forecasts, drought conditions, and drought impacts on an ongoing basis to public and private entities engaged in drought planning and preparedness, including—(A) decisionmakers at the Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local levels of government; (B) the private sector; and (C) the public; (3) provide timely data, information, and products that reflect local, regional, watershed, and State differences in drought conditions; (4) coordinate, and integrate, through interagency agreements as practicable, Federal research and monitoring in support of a drought early warning information system; (5) utilize existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships, including forecast communication coordinators and cooperative institutes, and improvements in seasonal precipitation and temperature, subseasonal precipitation and temperature, and low flow water prediction; and (6) continue ongoing research and monitoring activities related to drought, including research activities relating to the prediction, length, severity, and impacts of drought and the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in drought. (c) PartnershipsThe National Integrated Drought Information System may—(1) engage with the private sector to improve drought monitoring, forecast, and communication if the Under Secretary determines the partnership is appropriate, cost-effective, and beneficial to the public and decisionmakers described in subsection (b)(2)(A); (2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic cooperative partnerships to assist with National Integrated Drought Information System functions; and (3) utilize and support, as appropriate, monitoring by citizen scientists, including by developing best practices to facilitate maximum data integration. (d) ConsultationThe Under Secretary shall consult with relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector in the development and sustainment of the National Integrated Drought Information System. (e) Cooperation from other Federal agenciesEach Federal agency shall cooperate as appropriate with the Under Secretary in carrying out this section. (f) Soil moistureNot later than 1 year after January 7, 2019, the Under Secretary, acting through the National Integrated Drought Information System, shall develop a strategy for a national coordinated soil moisture monitoring network.

15 U.S.C. § 315 Changes or assignment to duty

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to make such changes or assignment to duty in the personnel or detailed force of the National Weather Service for limiting or reducing expenses as he may deem necessary.

15 U.S.C. § 317 Appropriations and estimates

The appropriations for the support of the National Weather Service shall be made with those of the other bureaus of the Department of Commerce, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of Commerce to prepare future estimates for the National Weather Service which shall be specially developed and extended in the interests of agriculture.

15 U.S.C. § 318 Weather signals on mail cars

The Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with the United States Postal Service, may arrange a plan by which there shall be displayed on all cars and other conveyances used for transporting United States mail suitable flags or other signals to indicate weather forecasts, cold-wave warnings, frost warnings, and so forth, to be furnished by the Secretary.

15 U.S.C. § 322 Odd jobs for part-time employees

National Weather Service part-time employees, appointed by designation or otherwise under regulations of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management for observational work, may perform odd jobs in the installation, repair, improvement, alteration, cleaning, or removal of Government property and receive compensation therefor under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce.

15 U.S.C. § 325 Authority for certain functions and activities

Appropriations now or hereafter provided for the National Weather Service shall be available for (a) furnishing food and shelter, without repayment therefor, to employees of the Government assigned to Arctic stations; (b) equipment and maintenance of meteorological offices and stations, and maintenance and operation of meteorological facilities outside the United States by contract or otherwise; (c) repairing, altering, and improving of buildings occupied by the National Weather Service, and care and preservation of grounds, including the construction of necessary outbuildings and sidewalks on public streets abutting National Weather Service grounds; (d) arranging for communication services at rates to be fixed by the Secretary of Commerce by agreement with the companies performing the services when determined to be advantageous to the Government; and (e) purchasing tabulating cards and continuous form tabulating paper.

15 U.S.C. § 326 Maintenance of printing office in Washington, D.C.

When so specified in appropriation Acts, the National Weather Service is authorized to maintain a printing office in the city of Washington for the printing of weather maps, bulletins, circulars, forms, and other publications: Provided, That no printing shall be done by the National Weather Service which could be done at the Government Publishing Office without impairing the service of said Service.

15 U.S.C. § 327 Employees for conduct of meteorological investigations in Arctic region; appointment and compensation; extra compensation to other Government employees for taking observations

The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to (a) appoint employees for the conduct of meteorological investigations in the Arctic region without regard to the civil service laws and fix their compensation without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, and sections 5542, 5543, 5545, and 5546 of title 5, at base rates not to exceed the maximum scheduled rate for GS–12, and (b) grant extra compensation to employees of other Government agencies for taking and transmitting meteorological observations without regard to section 5533 of title 5.

15 U.S.C. § 328 Transfer from other Government Departments of surplus equipment and supplies for Arctic stations

Subject to approval of the President, and without charge to the National Weather Service, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Secretary of the Navy are authorized to transfer to the National Weather Service equipment and supplies which are surplus to the needs of their respective Departments and necessary for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of Arctic weather stations.