H.R. 5456 — NWR Modernization Act of 2025

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, (1) “Administrator” as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and (2) “NOAA Weather Radio” as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weather Radio All Hazards network.

This section states congressional findings concerning NOAA Weather Radio, including (1) its role as a nationwide network of transmitters critical to protecting life and property by broadcasting weather and other hazard alerts; (2) its current coverage of 95% of the U.S. population; (3) origination of broadcasts from all National Weather Service offices, with availability limited to receivers in proximity to transmitting towers; (4) limited options for internet or mobile device access via ad hoc volunteer mechanisms; and (5) the need to provide equal access to unimpeded broadcasts of weather and non-weather hazards for every person in the United States, its territories, and Tribal lands.

This section directs the NOAA Administrator, to the maximum extent practicable, to expand coverage of NOAA Weather Radio—which broadcasts weather forecasts, warnings, and other hazard information—and ensure its reliability by (1) maintaining support for existing systems serving areas without or with poor cellular service, (2) ensuring consistent maintenance and operations monitoring with timely repairs to broadcast transmitter site equipment and antennas, and (3) enhancing the ability to amplify non-weather emergency messages as necessary. The section further requires acquiring additional transmitters to expand coverage to rural and underserved communities, national parks, and recreation areas.

This section directs the NOAA Administrator to enhance NOAA Weather Radio (NWR)—a nationwide network providing continuous weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and hazard information—through specified modernization activities conducted in parallel with other initiatives, including (1) upgrading telecommunications infrastructure to accelerate the transition to internet protocol-based communications over noncopper media; (2) accelerating software upgrades to the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS), or successors, for partial county notifications and alerts; (3) consulting stakeholders, including the private sector, to improve accessibility and usability of NWR data and feeds; (4) developing continuity options, such as satellite backups and commercial partnerships, for Weather Forecast Office outages; (5) researching alternatives, including microwave capabilities, for transmitting signals to remote or non-internet protocol-capable transmitters; and (6) transitioning critical applications to the Integrated Dissemination Program, or successors. The section requires the Administrator to prioritize such activities based on recommendations from an access assessment, with emphasis on remote and underserved areas. Not later than 12 months after enactment of this Act, the Administrator must complete that assessment, considering continuous real-time broadcasts in urban and rural areas; stakeholder input on third-party platform compatibility; management systems for consistent access; central aggregation of feeds; interagency coordination; electromagnetic pulse or geomagnetic disturbance effects; and other relevant factors.