NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act

The NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act aims to significantly enhance the nation's weather and emergency alert infrastructure. It mandates the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to expand and modernize the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) system, ensuring it operates 24/7, is resilient to outages, and provides reliable broadcasts of weather and hazard information. Key modernization efforts include improving communication methods for hazardous weather risks, enhancing the ability to amplify non-weather emergency messages, and acquiring additional transmitters to expand coverage. This expansion specifically targets areas at high risk for rapid onset weather disasters, communities lacking mobile broadband or local warning systems, and Federal lands. The bill also calls for upgrading NWR's telecommunications infrastructure, accelerating software for more geographically specific alerts, and developing continuity options like satellite backup. The legislation authorizes appropriations of $25,000,000 annually for NWR operations from fiscal years 2026 through 2031, and a one-time $100,000,000 for modernization efforts in fiscal year 2026. Additionally, it directs the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology to develop national standards for flash flood emergency alert systems within 100-year floodplains, prioritizing communities without adequate existing warning infrastructure. Finally, the bill addresses NOAA staffing by requiring the Office of Management and Budget to classify certain critical positions, such as meteorologists and hydrologists, as protective service occupations. It also mandates a 10-year staffing plan for the National Weather Service and other NOAA roles vital for protecting human life and property through forecasts and warnings.