H.R. 2646 — Radar Gap Elimination Act

This section establishes the Radar Next Program, to be carried out by the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (i.e., NOAA administrator), in consultation with the Director of the National Weather Service. The program requires (1) developing performance and coverage requirements for the U.S. weather radar network, including territories; (2) collaborating with the weather enterprise (i.e., public, private, and academic contributors to and users of weather forecasts, as defined in 15 U.S.C. 8501) on solutions to update the network; and (3) developing a plan to replace the existing Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) system. (NEXRAD is the current nationwide network of Doppler radars operated jointly by NOAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense to detect precipitation, wind, and severe weather.) The replacement plan must estimate quantifiable improvements in performance, coverage, and accuracy; develop a proof-of-concept phased array radar; implement recommendations from NOAA's November 2023 NESDIS Observing System Backbone Framework report; establish a testbed to evaluate commercial radars and provide technical assistance for small gap-filling radars; solicit input from academia, meteorologists, emergency managers, and public safety or utility officials; identify prioritized and expected deployment locations, including sites more than 75 miles from existing NEXRAD stations; and detail expected improvements to weather and water forecasts and warnings. The Under Secretary must fully implement the plan by September 30, 2040. This section further authorizes the Under Secretary to partner or contract with external entities (e.g., testbed participants, National Mesonet Program partners, or weather camera providers in consultation with the Federal Aviation Administration) for Radar-as-a-Service to fill NEXRAD data gaps using diverse radars and data assimilation technologies. (Thus, ...) The Under Secretary must provide periodic updates to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.