15 U.S.C. § 8550 — Improvements to Cooperative Observer Program of National Weather Service

(a) In general. The Under Secretary, acting through the National Weather Service, must improve the Cooperative Observer Program. This means: supporting state-run programs tied to the Program, and supporting states and regions where weather observations are scarce; working with state weather offices to get more people involved and add stations where observations are scarce; where possible, keeping stations that have reported data for more than 50 years staffed by volunteers; prioritizing recruitment of new volunteers; making sure automated reporting options exist to reduce the work volunteers must do by hand; and making sure there is an easy, integrated way to report things that cannot be automated — like drought conditions, snow observations, and hazardous weather — so volunteers can report and upload data quickly. (b) Coordination with states and regions. At least every 180 days, the National Weather Service must check in with state and regional offices about the status of Cooperative Observer Program stations. (c) Coordination with federal agencies. The National Weather Service must also work with other federal agencies — including the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Geological Survey — to grow the Program's network and make better use of existing infrastructure, weather stations, and staff.