House Approves Bridenstine Weather Bill
U.S. House passes bill to improve tornado forecasting
By Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — With tornado season about to begin, the U.S. House passed a bill Tuesday by Rep. Jim Bridenstine aimed at boosting federal weather forecasting capabilities and lengthening the warning time for tornadoes.
The legislation passed by voice vote and now goes to the Senate.
Bridenstine, R-Tulsa, said the bill would rebalance the priorities of the federal agencies involved in weather research and forecasting. It “helps get weather research projects out of the lab and into the field,” he said.
Bridenstine and other lawmakers said the legislation would also push the federal agencies to incorporate input from the broader weather community, including private companies and universities.
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said the legislation presses the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “to get serious about exploring private sector solutions for their data needs.” Moreover, she said, it would tap the expertise of social scientists about how to convey severe weather warnings to the public.
At a hearing on the bill last summer, Kelvin Droegemeier, professor of meteorology and vice president of research at the University of Oklahoma, told a House subcommittee that research on storm warnings should include an examination of how people respond to them.