S. 324 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jan 29, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryImproves long-range weather forecasts for water and farming
This bill directs NOAA, a federal weather agency, to run two test projects to get better at predicting rain and snow weeks or months ahead. One project focuses on water needs in western states, especially predicting atmospheric rivers and improving forecasts in mountains. The other focuses on helping farmers and ranchers across the country by predicting warm-season rainfall and spring and summer weather patterns. Both projects will work with universities and NOAA scientists to develop better forecasting tools that actually work in real operations.
How it affects you
Farmers, ranchers, and water managers in the western U.S. could benefit most directly if these forecasts improve, helping them make better decisions about planting, irrigation, and water storage. The bill sets up temporary pilot projects lasting five years, so benefits would depend on whether the improvements prove useful after that testing period ends.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jan 29, 2025)
Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025
This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish pilot projects to support improved subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasting for water management in the western United States and for agriculture nationwide. (Under current law, subseasonal means the time range between two weeks and three months, and seasonal means the time range between three months and two years.)
Specifically, NOAA must establish a pilot project to address challenges to improving forecasting and related product development for water management in the western United States. The project must address, among other items, improvements to operational modeling in mountainous regions and to the forecasting of atmospheric rivers.
NOAA must also establish a second pilot project to address challenges to improving forecasting and related product development for U.S. agriculture. The project must address, among other items, improvements to operational modeling of warm-season precipitation and to the prediction of certain spring and summer weather patterns.
Each pilot project must include activities that engage with and leverage the resources of academic institutions and entities within NOAA, and that achieve measurable objectives for operational forecast improvement. NOAA’s authority with respect to these pilot projects expires five years after the bill’s enactment.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 324
A BILL
Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) · Introduced Jan 29, 2025 · Science, Technology, Communications · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 29, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.”