Description:
H.R. 1437 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve precipitation estimates for the United States. The bill would authorize the appropriation of specific amounts for each fiscal year through 2030, totaling $80 million, for the following activities: $47 million to create unified guidance for federal agencies and private entities on best practices for producing precipitation estimates, $31.5 million to produce improved estimates of precipitation frequency and volume, and $1.5 million to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to produce a report on current precipitation estimate practices, their shortcomings, and ways they can be improved. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) provided NOAA with advance appropriations totaling $492 million over the 2022 to 2026 period for flood mapping and water modeling activities, including modernized studies of precipitation frequency and volume. The authorization of appropriations in H.R. 1437 would be in addition to the funds already provided.
