S. 1573: Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation Act of 2015

114th Congress · introduced 2015-06-15 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 268.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-06-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 268. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation Act of 2015

Plain summary

Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill directs the National Weather Service (NWS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Department of Commerce to employ at each of its weather forecast offices at least one warning coordination meteorologist who shall: serve the geographic area of responsibility covered by the office to help ensure that users of NWS products can respond effectively to improve weather event outcomes; liaise with specified users of NWS products and services to evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of such products and services; collaborate with other appropriate weather forecast offices and state, local, and tribal government agencies in developing, proposing, and implementing plans to improve the usefulness of such products and services; ensure the maintenance and accuracy of severe weather call lists, appropriate office severe weather policy or procedures, and other severe weather or dissemination methodologies or strategies; and work closely with state, local, and tribal emergency management agencies, and other agencies related to disaster management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness effort. A warning coordination meteorologist may also take on specified additional responsibilities. In carrying out this Act the NWS may place a warning coordination meteorologist with a state or local emergency manager if necessary or convenient. (Sec. 3) NOAA shall assess its system for issuing watches and warnings for hazardous weather and water events, including: an evaluation of whether the system meets the purpose of risk communication to the general public that informs action to prevent loss of life and property, and development of recommendations for legislative and administrative action to improve the system and for research necessary to address the following focus areas. The assessment shall focus on ways to: communicate the risks posed by hazardous weather or water events to the public that are most likely to result in action to mitigate the risk, communicate the risks posed by such events to the public as broadly and rapidly as practicable, preserve the benefits of the existing watches and warning system, and maintain the utility of the system for government and commercial users of such system. In conducting the assessment NOAA shall use methodologies generally accepted by the weather enterprise, including social and behavioral sciences. Based on the assessment, NOAA shall take actions necessary to improve the system, support efforts to satisfy research needs to enable its future improvement, and ensure that any major change to it: is validated by social and behavioral science; accounts for the needs of various demographics, vulnerable populations, and geographic regions; accounts for the differences between types of weather and water hazards; responds to the needs of federal, state, and local government partners and media partners; and accounts for necessary changes to federally-operated watch and warning propagation and dissemination infrastructure and protocols. (Sec. 4) NOAA shall report annually to Congress on the use of contractors at the NWS for the most recently completed fiscal year.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation Act of 2015

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 1573, Weather Alerts for a Ready Nation Act of 2015 (2015-08-07)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] reported raising $4.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s1573.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1573 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114