Bill Overview
Title: National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act
Description: This bill directs the National Weather Service (NWS) to improve the instant messaging service used by NWS personnel by implementing a commercial, off-the-shelf communications solution hosted on the public cloud to serve as a replacement for the communications system in use, commonly referred to as NWSChat.
Sponsors: Rep. Feenstra, Randy [R-IA-4]
Target Audience
Population: People relying on weather forecasts and alerts
Estimated Size: 331000000
- The National Weather Service (NWS) impacts many sectors by providing crucial weather data and alerts.
- Weather information is vital for professionals in aviation, maritime, emergency management, and agriculture, suggesting these sectors will be affected.
- Individuals and communities rely on accurate weather forecasting to prepare for severe weather events.
- The NWS provides services that indirectly impact the entire global population through weather prediction and warning issuance.
- The U.S. population will be directly impacted due to the location of the NWS and the immediate benefits of improved communication tools for weather alerts.
- As weather conditions have global implications (e.g., hurricanes, climate monitoring), international communities also depend on NWS data, though indirectly.
Reasoning
- The National Weather Service (NWS) is a crucial public service, and improvements to its communication systems can affect a wide range of sectors and individuals in the U.S.
- Despite the large target population size, not everyone will be affected equally or notice changes in their personal well-being, except those who directly use or rely on NWS services, such as professionals in weather-dependent industries.
- Improved communication systems may increase efficiency and the accuracy of weather predictions, leading to an indirect boost in well-being by promoting safety and preparedness for severe weather events.
- Budget constraints suggest the improvements will prioritize core functionalities reaching the most critical stakeholders, particularly those in emergency management and weather-sensitive industries.
- The impact on general public well-being is expected to be low to medium, but sectors directly using NWS data may see greater benefits.
Simulated Interviews
Farmer (Des Moines, Iowa)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accurate weather forecasting is crucial for my planting schedule.
- Any improvements to NWS systems that can reduce downtime will help in planning around storms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Emergency Management Coordinator (Miami, Florida)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved communication from the NWS could make a significant difference in our response times.
- I hope the policy leads to more accurate real-time data during hurricanes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired (Boston, Massachusetts)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I occasionally check the weather channel, but otherwise, I don't think this will affect me much.
- If it improves news reports, maybe it will help during heavy storms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Airline Pilot (Denver, Colorado)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved NWS systems could make flights safer and make weather advisories more reliable.
- I think this could help reduce delays caused by unforeseen weather issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Software Engineer (Seattle, Washington)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better data feeds from the NWS should make our applications more accurate and useful.
- It could drive better user engagement if our predictions are more trustworthy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
School Teacher (Houston, Texas)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I use weather data to teach class, but overall, this policy might not directly impact me heavily.
- Real-world data integration is always a plus though.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Climate Researcher (San Francisco, California)
Age: 32 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better NWS data can improve the quality of climate models.
- I'm hopeful this policy will enhance data accuracy and availability for research.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Insurance Adjuster (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better weather data can lead to more accurate risk assessments which help manage claims better.
- I'm hoping to see a reduction in errors during storm season.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Freelance Web Developer (Rural Kansas)
Age: 25 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I might check weather if there's a big event, not sure this policy directly affects me.
- Maybe if I hear about better apps I'll notice a difference.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Municipal Water Manager (Portland, Oregon)
Age: 55 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Accurate weather forecasts impact our water resource management plans directly.
- I'm looking forward to more reliable data inputs for our predictive models.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $15000000 (Low: $12000000, High: $18000000)
Year 2: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 3: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 5: $9000000 (Low: $7000000, High: $11000000)
Year 10: $6000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $8000000)
Year 100: $2000000 (Low: $1000000, High: $3000000)
Key Considerations
- The initial investment is significant but necessary for long-term modernization of the NWS communication infrastructure.
- Long-term cost benefits may outweigh the initial expenditure, particularly in maintenance and system reliability.
- Implementation risks should be minimized by ensuring integration with existing systems and thorough testing.