H.R. 1561 would authorize the appropriation of $120 million for each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve forecasting of severe weather events. The bill also would authorize NOAA to carry out various other activities related to weather forecasting and research.
Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $240 million over the 2016-2020 period. Enacting H.R. 1561 would not affect direct spending or revenues, therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 1561 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. Public entities, such as weather and emergency response agencies and public universities, would benefit from cooperative arrangements and federal grants authorized in the bill for research and weather-related activities.
