Noaa Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Oklahoma for yielding and for introducing this legislation.

H.R. 5324, the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2021, is a straightforward, lifesaving bill introduced by my esteemed colleague from Oklahoma, Representative Stephanie Bice, who is the ranking member of the Environment Subcommittee.

Last week, nearly the entire State of Oklahoma experienced an outbreak in severe weather and a number of confirmed tornadoes. That is not uncommon for this time of year, and our citizens were well prepared.

While there was significant damage and widespread power outages, there have been no confirmed deaths at this point. That is because of the lifesaving efforts of NOAA, the National Weather Service, and warning capabilities like the NOAA Weather Radio, also known as NWR.

Day or night, power or no power, in a rural area or in the heart of the city, an NWR device loudly alerts you and your family to severe weather nearby. Most Oklahomans have grown up listening to these announcements, and we know to act when we hear them. That saves lives. But since NWR was designated as the sole government provider of direct warnings to private homes in 1975, the system has gone through few upgrades other than broadly expanding access across the country.

The NWR's aging infrastructure has led to increased maintenance costs and more frequent outages. The copper wiring that connects broadcast transmitters to Weather Service stations has become obsolete and expensive. More powerful storms require backup options and stronger signals in case of extensive damage to mission critical facilities.

The NWR Modernization Act addresses these challenges and gives NOAA the authority and resources to ensure the NWR is as useful in the 21st century as it has been for the last four decades. This legislation continues to expand access to NWR, but does so while ensuring the system does not become obsolete with out-of-date technology.

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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the leadership of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology's Environment Subcommittee, Ranking Member Bice and Chairwoman Sherrill, for leading on this critical issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I would simply note that we pass lots of pieces of legislation in this body every session. But every so often, we address a piece of legislation that makes a real difference in the lives of people, a piece of legislation that deserves to move as swiftly as possible through the process to enable its implementation.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank all of my colleagues, and I urge a yes vote.

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