H.R. 7848

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7848 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7848

To establish the National Weather Safety Board to investigate certain 
major disasters, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 5, 2026

Mr. Sorensen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish the National Weather Safety Board to investigate certain 
major disasters, 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 ``National Weather Safety Board Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL WEATHER SAFETY BOARD.

(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, there shall be established as an independent 
entity a safety board to be known as the ``National Weather Safety 
Board'' (in this section referred to as the ``Safety Board'').
(b) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--The Safety Board shall be composed of not 
fewer than 7 members appointed by the President, by and with 
the advice and consent of the Senate. Not more than 4 members 
may be appointed from the same political party.
(2) Candidate list.--The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall jointly submit to the President a list 
of candidates for consideration for appointment to the Safety 
Board under paragraph (1). Such candidates shall have 
professional backgrounds in any of the following:
(A) Atmospheric and hydrological sciences.
(B) Commercial meteorological sciences.
(C) Social sciences.
(D) Academia.
(E) Emergency management administration and 
operations.
(3) Terms.--
(A) In general.--The term of office of each member 
of the Safety Board shall be 5 years.
(B) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a 
vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be 
appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member 
may serve after the expiration of that member's term 
until a successor is appointed in accordance with this 
subsection.
(C) Removal.--The President may only remove a 
member for neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
(4) Quorum.--Five members of the Safety Board shall 
constitute a quorum.
(c) Offices.--The Safety Board shall establish offices as necessary 
to carry out investigations under subsection (d).
(d) Investigation of Covered Major Disasters.--
(1) System development.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the 
establishment of the Safety Board, the Safety Board 
shall develop a system, in coordination with the Chief 
of Engineers, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
Federal Communications Commission, the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
and the Director of National Weather Service, to 
provide information described in subparagraph (B) to 
members of the Safety Board regarding a covered major 
disaster before a vote is held pursuant to paragraph 
(2).
(B) Information described.--The information 
described in this subparagraph is the following:
(i) The number of people impacted by a 
covered major disaster referred to in 
subparagraph (A).
(ii) The severity of such disaster.
(iii) The economic impact of such disaster.
(2) Procedure.--Not later than 14 days after the date on 
which a severe weather event is declared to be a covered major 
disaster, the Safety Board shall conduct a vote to determine 
whether to investigate such disaster. Such vote shall be based 
on the information provided pursuant to paragraph (1). The 
Safety Board may so investigate such a disaster only if a 
quorum of the members present and voting vote in the 
affirmative.
(3) Entities investigated.--
(A) In general.--If the Safety Board votes in the 
affirmative to investigate a covered major disaster 
pursuant to paragraph (2), the Safety Board shall carry 
out the following:
(i) Investigate, with respect to such 
disaster, the preparedness for and response to 
such disaster of the entities specified in 
subparagraph (C), as the Safety Board 
determines relevant.
(ii) Review, with respect to such disaster, 
the following:
(I) Any determinations made by such 
entities as a result of weather 
forecasts or warnings to protect life 
and property.
(II) Whether such determinations 
were sufficient.
(B) Compliance.--Upon request of the Safety Board, 
an entity specified in subparagraph (C) subject to an 
investigation conducted pursuant to this subsection, 
shall provide to the Safety Board any data or 
information the Safety Board determines necessary to 
aid in such investigation.
(C) Entities specified.--An entity specified in 
this subparagraph is any of the following, as the 
Safety Board determines relevant:
(i) The Army Corps of Engineers.
(ii) The Department of Homeland Security, 
including the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency.
(iii) The Federal Communications 
Commission.
(iv) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration.
(v) The National Weather Service.
(4) Subpoena authority.--The Safety Board may issue a 
subpoena, enforceable in a Federal district court, to obtain 
testimony or evidence related to an investigation conducted 
pursuant to this subsection.
(e) Reports.--
(1) Preliminary report.--Not later than 90 days after the 
conclusion of a covered major disaster, the Safety Board shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and, 
upon request, the President, a preliminary report relating to 
an investigation conducted pursuant to subsection (d) regarding 
such disaster.
(2) Final report.--Not later than 20 months after the date 
on which the Safety Board begins an investigation under 
subsection (d), the Safety Board shall submit to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives, and, upon request, the President, a report 
that includes the following:
(A) A summary of the findings of such 
investigation.
(B) Based on such findings, any recommendations for 
each entity specified in subsection (d)(3)(C) 
investigated in accordance with such investigation to 
improve preparedness for and response to covered major 
disasters.
(f) Public Availability.--The Safety Board shall develop, update, 
and make publicly available on a website of the Safety Board the 
following information:
(1) The recommendations included in a report submitted 
under subsection (e)(2)(B).
(2) The entity specified in subsection (d)(3)(C) with 
respect to which each such recommendation was made.
(3) Whether each such entity has implemented each such 
recommendation.
(g) Termination.--The Safety Board shall terminate on the date that 
is 5 years after the date on which the final member of the Safety Board 
is confirmed by the Senate.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered major disaster.--The term ``covered major 
disaster'' means any of the following:
(A) A severe weather event that is declared under 
section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) to be a 
major disaster.
(B) A severe weather event that results in any of 
the following:
(i) At least 10 fatalities.
(ii) At least 100 injuries.
(iii) Rapid-onset mass-casualties, as 
determined by the Safety Board.
(2) Severe weather event.--The term ``severe weather 
event'' means a hurricane, tropical storm, flood, tornado, 
winter weather event, extreme cold event, or tsunami.
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