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<PRE>[DOCID: f:h2486ih.txt]






107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2486

   To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and 
  development, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical 
    cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 12, 2001

Mr. Etheridge (for himself, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Hall of Texas, Mr. Brady 
of Texas, Mr. McIntyre, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr. Price of North 
  Carolina, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Mr. Markey, Ms. Jackson-Lee of 
 Texas, Ms. McKinney, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Hoeffel, Mrs. 
  Clayton, Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Diaz-Balart) introduced the following 
          bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To authorize the National Weather Service to conduct research and 
  development, training, and outreach activities relating to tropical 
    cyclone inland forecasting improvement, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Tropical Cyclone Inland Forecasting 
Improvement and Warning System Development Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.

    The National Weather Service shall--
            (1) improve the capability, through research and modeling, 
        to forecast accurately inland flooding associated with tropical 
        cyclones;
            (2) develop, test, and deploy a simple and distinct inland 
        flood warning index or system, for use by the public and 
        emergency management officials, that clearly defines inland 
        flood risks and dangers;
            (3) train emergency management officials, National Weather 
        Service personnel, meteorologists, and others as appropriate 
        regarding improved forecasting techniques for inland flooding, 
        risk management techniques, and use of the inland flood warning 
        index or system developed under paragraph (2); and
            (4) conduct outreach and education activities for local 
        meteorologists and the public regarding the dangers and risks 
        associated with tropical cyclone-induced inland flooding and 
        the use and understanding of the inland flood warning index or 
        system developed under paragraph (2).

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the National Weather 
Service for carrying out this Act $1,150,000 for each of the fiscal 
years 2002 through 2006. Of the amounts authorized under this section, 
$250,000 for each fiscal year shall be available for a grant to an 
institution of higher learning equipped to further the development and 
application of an interactively coupled modeling, environmental, and 
predictive system to improve the ability to forecast coastal and 
estuary-inland flooding associated with tropical cyclones.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and annually thereafter through fiscal year 2006, the National Weather 
Service shall transmit to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on its activities under this Act 
and the success and acceptance of the inland flood warning index or 
system developed under section 2(2) by the public and emergency 
management professionals.
                                 &lt;all&gt;

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