Bill · S. 324· Senate(119-S-324)
Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 1/29/2025
- Last activity
- 1/29/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Jacky Rosen
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Smarter Weather Forecasting for Water Management, Farming, and Ranching Act of 2025 directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to establish at least two pilot projects. These projects are intended to improve subseasonal to seasonal precipitation forecasts. One project will focus on water management in the western United States, while the other focuses on agriculture in the United States. The initiative seeks to address scientific challenges like atmospheric rivers, soil moisture, and mountain terrain modeling. The program will involve coordination with various NOAA entities and higher education institutions. The authority for these projects is set to expire five years after enactment.
Yes· 3 of 10
Does this put more money into scientific research?+7
The bill authorizes $45,000,000 annually for five years to support scientific pilot projects and research.
Would farmers be better off under this?+6
The bill specifically directs research to improve forecasting for agriculture, including soil moisture and precipitation.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+4
The focus on agriculture and water management provides significant benefits to residents in rural areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Improved Water Management in the West: The bill directs a pilot project to address science challenges related to water management in the western United States, including better predicting storm tracks and atmospheric rivers (Section 2, subsection (h)(1)(A) and (2)(A)).
-
Enhanced Agricultural Forecasting: A second pilot project is designed to improve forecasts for agriculture in the United States by focusing on soil moisture, flash drought processes, and warm season precipitation (Section 2, subsection (h)(1)(B) and (2)(B)).
-
Increased Precision in Weather Modeling: The bill aims to improve the resolution of models regarding mountainous terrain, specifically regarding the intensity of precipitation and the ratio of rain versus snow (Section 2, subsection (h)(2)(A)(i)).
-
Better Ocean-Atmosphere Data: The projects intend to improve the quality and resolution of observations and modeling regarding air-sea interactions (Section 2, subsection (h)(2)(A)(v)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Limited Duration of Authority: The authority for these pilot projects is scheduled to terminate five years after the date of enactment (Section 2, subsection (h)(4)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Farmers+6Good For Rural Residents+4Good For Business Owners+3Good For Low Income Households+1
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+7
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Economic Growth+3Increases Job Creation+2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3Improves Environmental Protections+2
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+1
- 2/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/29/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California