[Senate Report 109-202]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
109th Congress
1st Session SENATE Report
109-202
_______________________________________________________________________
Calendar No. 319
WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT
OF 2005
__________
R E P O R T
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 517
DATE deg.December 8, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005
SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred ninth congress
second session
TED STEVENS, Alaska, Chairman
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii, Co-Chairman
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West
CONRAD BURNS, Montana Virginia
TRENT LOTT, Mississippi JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts
KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota
OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine BARBARA BOXER, California
GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon BILL NELSON, Florida
JOHN ENSIGN, Nevada MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
GEORGE ALLEN, Virginia FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska
JIM DeMINT, South Carolina MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
Lisa Sutherland, Staff Director
Christine Drager Kurth, Deputy Staff Director
David Russell, Chief Counsel
Margaret Cummisky, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Samuel Whitehorn, Democratic Deputy Staff Director and General Counsel
Calendar No. 319
109th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 109-202
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WEATHER MODIFICATION RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION ACT
OF 2005
_______
December 8, 2005.--Ordered to be printed
Filed under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005
_______
Mr. Stevens, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 517]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 517) to establish the Weather
Modification Operations and Research Board, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
with an amendment (in the nature of a substitute) and
recommends that the bill (as amended) do pass.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of S. 517, as set forth in section 2 of the bill
is, ``to develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated
national weather modification research policy and a national
cooperative Federal and State program of weather modification
research and development.''
Background and Needs
Weather modification refers to the intentional modification
of atmospheric processes by human activities. For a number of
years the Federal government supported research for weather
modification. Federal support for weather modification research
and development peaked in the mid-1970s and has since declined
due in part to both a lack of a statistical confirmation of
hail suppression and rain enhancement seeding experiments and a
shift from federally funded in-house weather modification
research and development to cooperative Federal/State weather
modification research. Currently, there is no Federal funding
for weather modification activities.
Summary of Provisions
The bill would create a subcommittee in the Office of Science
and Technology Policy (OSTP) to coordinate a national weather
modification research program. The subcommittee would be co-
chaired by representatives from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Science
Foundation (NSF), and would have representation from the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other
appropriate Federal agencies.
The subcommittee would be required to submit a plan for
weather modification research that describes goals and
activities, evaluates existing programs, makes suggestions on
coordination with existing programs, and provides an estimation
of Federal funding for weather modification research. The
program would include activities to improve the understanding
of processes related to weather modification and the potential
negative impacts of weather modification.
The bill also would establish an advisory board in OSTP to
make recommendations to the subcommittee. This advisory board
would be composed of outside experts including scientists,
engineers and State officials involved in weather modification
operations. The advisory board would examine potential uses for
weather modification research and evaluate the efficacy of
weather modification research.
Legislative History
The Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer
Authorization Act of 2005 (S. 517) was introduced by Senator
Hutchison on March 3, 2005 and referred to the Senate Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The Subcommittee on
Disaster Prevention and Prediction and the Subcommittee on
Science and Space held a joint hearing on S. 517 on November
10, 2005. On November 17, 2005, the Committee considered the
bill in an open Executive Session. Senator Hutchison offered an
amendment in the nature of a substitute. The Committee, without
objection, adopted the substitute and ordered S. 517 be
reported with the amendment.
Estimated Costs
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
December 1, 2005.
Hon. Ted Stevens,
Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 517, the Weather
Modification Research and Development Policy Act of 2005.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Matthew
Pickford.
Sincerely,
Douglas Holtz-Eakin.
Enclosure.
S. 517--Weather Modification Research and Development Policy Act of
2005
S. 517 would establish within the Office of Science and
Technology Policy (OSTP) a new Weather Modification
Subcommittee and a Weather Modification Research Advisory
Board. Weather modification is the general term that refers to
any human attempt to alter the weather. The subcommittee would
consist of representatives from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation,
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and would
be responsible for coordinating a national research program on
weather modification. The advisory board would consist of nine
members with weather expertise from outside the federal
government, appointed by the Director of OSTP to advise the
work of the subcommittee.
Within 180 days of enactment, the legislation would require
the Weather Modification Subcommittee to report to the Congress
goals and priorities for federal weather modification research
over the next 10 years. In addition, the subcommittee would
annually report on weather modification research achievements,
progress, budgets, and recommendations. (This legislation would
not specifically authorize any such research.) The advisory
board would work with the subcommittee to make recommendations
on weather modification issues.
Based on information from OSTP, CBO expects that the new
subcommittee and advisory board would require a small increase
in staff and overall administrative expenses to coordinate a
national research program on weather modification. We estimate
that implementing S. 517 would cost about $1 million annually,
assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Enacting the
legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues.
S. 517 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act;. any
costs to state, local, or tribal governments would result from
complying with conditions of federal assistance.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew
Pickford. This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine,
Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Regulatory Impact Statement
In accordance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides the
following evaluation of the regulatory impact of the
legislation, as reported:
NUMBER OF PERSONS COVERED
The bill would require OSTP to develop a national weather
modification policy. The bill would not authorize any new
regulations and, therefore, would not subject any individuals
or businesses to new regulations.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
S. 517 would not have an adverse economic impact on the
nation's economy. The Act would not authorize any new spending.
PRIVACY
The reported bill would have little, if any, impact on the
personal privacy of U.S. citizens.
PAPERWORK
The reported bill would not increase paperwork requirements
significantly for individuals and businesses. Section 4 of the
Act would require OSTP to submit a 10-year plan to Congress and
an annual report to the President and Congress.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Short title
Section 1 would establish the short title of the bill as the
``Weather Modification Research and Development Policy
Authorization Act of 2005.''
Section 2. Purpose
Section 2 would establish the purpose of the bill to develop
a comprehensive national weather modification research policy.
Section 3. Definitions
Section 3 would define various terms in the act, including
``Board'', ``Research and Development'', and ``Weather
Modification.''
Section 4. Weather Modification Subcommittee
Section 4 would create a subcommittee in OSTP to coordinate a
national weather modification research program. The
subcommittee would be co-chaired by NOAA and NSF, and would
have representation from NASA and other appropriate Federal
agencies.
The section would require the Subcommittee to submit a plan
for weather modification research that would describe goals and
activities, evaluate existing programs, make suggestions on
coordination with existing programs, and provide an estimation
of Federal funding for weather modification research.
The section states that the program may include activities to
improve the understanding of processes related to weather
modification including cloud seeding, cloud modeling, improved
forecast technologies, as well as the potential negative
impacts of weather modification.
Finally the section would require the Board to submit an
annual report on the activities conducted pursuant to this
section.
Section 5. Weather modification research advisory board established
Section 5 would establish an advisory board in OSTP to make
recommendations to the Weather Modification Subcommittee. The
board would be composed of outside experts including
scientists, engineers and State officials involved in weather
modification operations. The board would examine potential uses
for weather modification research and would evaluate the
efficacy of weather modification research.
Section 6. Cooperation with Weather Modification Subcommittee
Section 6 would instruct Federal agencies to cooperate with
the Weather Modification Subcommittee.
Changes in Existing Law
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing
Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as
reported would make no change to existing law.