H.R. 4141

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4141 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4141

To direct the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to conduct collaborative research in order 
to advance numerical weather and climate prediction in the United 
States, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 25, 2025

Mr. Miller of Ohio (for himself and Mrs. Foushee) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to conduct collaborative research in order 
to advance numerical weather and climate prediction in the United 
States, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Weather Model Computing 
Development Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPUTING RESEARCH INITIATIVE.

(a) In General.--Section 108 of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8518) is amended by 
striking subsection (a)(3)(C) and all that follows through subsection 
(b)(7) and inserting the following:
``(b) Artificial Intelligence Investments.--The Under Secretary 
shall leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning 
technologies to facilitate, optimize, and further leverage advanced 
computing to accomplish critical missions of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
``(c) Centers of Excellence.--The Under Secretary may expand, and 
where applicable establish, centers of excellence to aid the adoption 
of next-generation artificial intelligence and machine learning enabled 
advanced computing capabilities. Each such center may carry out 
activities that include the following:
``(1) Leveraging robust public-private partnership models 
to provide access to training, experience, and long-term 
development of workforce and infrastructure.
``(2) Developing and optimizing tools, libraries, 
algorithms, data structures, and other supporting software 
necessary for specific applications on high performance 
computing systems.
``(3) Applying modern artificial intelligence, deep 
machine-learning, and advanced data analysis technologies to 
address current and future mission challenges.
``(4) To the maximum extent practicable, exploring quantum 
computing and related application partnerships with public, 
private, and academic entities to improve the accuracy and 
resolution of weather predictions.
``(d) Multi-Year Contracts.--The Under Secretary may enter into 
multi-year contracts in accordance with section 3903 of title 41, 
United States Code, and shall ensure compliance with all contract 
clauses provided in such section to support operations, research, and 
development related to high performance and cloud computing 
infrastructure or systems with an unfunded contingent liability in the 
event of cancellation.
``(e) Report.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date 
of the enactment of this subsection, the Under Secretary, in 
collaboration with the Secretary of Energy shall submit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate a report evaluating the following:
``(A) A best estimate of the overall value of high-
resolution probabilistic forecast guidance for 
hazardous weather or water events using a next-
generation weather forecast and warning framework.
``(B) The needs for cloud computing, quantum 
computing, or high-performance computing, 
visualization, and dissemination collaboration between 
the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration.
``(C) A timeline and guidance for implementation of 
the following:
``(i) High-resolution numerical weather 
prediction models.
``(ii) Methods for meeting the cloud 
computing, quantum computing, or high-
performance computing, visualization, and 
dissemination needs identified under 
subparagraph (b).
``(2) Hazardous weather or water events defined.--In this 
subsection, the term `hazardous weather or water events' means 
weather or water events that have a high risk of loss of life 
or property, including the following:
``(A) Severe storms, such as hurricanes and short-
fused, small-scale hazardous weather or hydrologic 
events produced by thunderstorms, including large hail, 
damaging winds, tornadoes, and flash floods.
``(B) Winter storms, such as freezing or frozen 
precipitation (including freezing rain, sleet, and 
snow), or combined effects of freezing or frozen 
precipitation and strong winds.
``(C) Other weather hazards, such as extreme heat 
or cold, wildfire, drought, dense fog, high winds, and 
river, coastal, or lakeshore flooding.''.
(b) Strategic Plan on High-Performance Computing and Data 
Management Needs.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall make publicly 
available not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and update every five years thereafter 
until 2035, a 10-year strategic plan that outlines the high-
performance computing and data management requirements and 
needs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
and actions and strategies to address such requirements and 
needs.
(2) Plan elements.--At a minimum, the strategic plan 
required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A 10-year prospective outlook of computing 
resources and upgrades needed to meet the mission needs 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
for fisheries management, oceanographic forecasting, 
and ecological forecasting missions.
(B) A discussion of the following:
(i) Computing and processing resources of 
the Administration and a 10-year projected need 
for such resources, disaggregated by line 
office of the Administration.
(ii) Facilities, commercial contracts, and 
partnerships (with other Federal agencies or 
other institutions or entities) of the 
Administration that are providing computing and 
data management support or capacity as of such 
date.
(iii) The use by the Administration of 
cloud computing and other emerging 
technologies, such as artificial intelligence 
and machine learning.
(iv) Additional technologies that have the 
potential to increase effectiveness and 
efficiency for data storage and processing 
power, including challenges to access and use 
of such technologies.
(v) The distribution of computing resources 
among the operations and research functions of 
the Administration.
(vi) Products and services of the 
Administration that have not become available 
to the public because of a lack of computing 
resources.
(vii) Current and future workforce 
development needs, such as information 
technology and software engineering, of the 
Administration.
(viii) The high-performance computing 
requirements of the Administration, with a 
special focus on requirements that are common 
across line offices of the Administration.
(C) Timelines, and performance measures for 
assessing progress toward attaining goals for the 
following:
(i) Computing infrastructure and 
architecture of the Administration (including 
facilities, hardware, and software).
(ii) Use by the Administration of 
technologies that will increase effectiveness 
and efficiency for data storage and processing 
power, including challenges to access and use 
of such technologies.
(D) A 10-year life cycle analysis of the management 
of facilities, hardware, and engineering involved in 
the strategic plan that includes the following:
(i) Program formulation for project 
conception, implementation, and closure.
(ii) Technical infrastructure, products, 
processes, data, and personnel resources 
required to achieve defined cost, schedule, and 
performance objectives.
(E) If appropriate, a description of actions taken 
to implement the previous plan.
(3) Public involvement.--In developing the strategic plan 
required by paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall invite 
comments and other feedback from the public to inform the 
strategic plan.
(4) Annual briefings.--
(A) In general.--Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act and annually 
thereafter until 2030, the Under Secretary shall brief 
Congress on the progress made toward the objectives of 
the strategic plan required by paragraph (1).
(B) Elements.--Each briefing required by 
subparagraph (A) shall include the following:
(i) An evaluation of the progress made in 
implementing the strategic plan.
(ii) Such updates to the strategic plan as 
the Under Secretary considers appropriate.
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