House Science Committee Passes Bipartisan Weather Bill
“The bill before us today will help us reclaim superior weather prediction and forecasting capabilities. Our citizens deserve this” said Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) at last week’s markup of H.R. 1561, “The Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2015.”
Lucas made his comments during a thirty minute session of the full House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. The bill was passed by a bipartisan voice vote with no apparent opposition.
H.R. 1561 is very similar to a bill passed by the House last year
Three amendments were offered during the committee’s markup. Two made minor and technical changes. The third would have supported agricultural or other sector specific forecasts and was withdrawn by its author, Rep Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). She suggested the committee develop a separate bill to authorize such a program.
The committee made several changes to the previous bill passed by the House and which died at the end of the last Congress. The 24-page bill
There were no indications when the House might act on this legislation. The House has moved swiftly on several bills the committee has passed and sent to the floor during this Congress. Last year the committee approved the bill on March 21 and it was passed by the House on April 1.