New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
from
Michael Potaczala KC4NUS
on
April 22, 2005
Website:
www.qrz.com and www.slashdot.org
View comments about this article!
The following came from Slashdot.org:
"Here we go again. Apparently for-pay weather companies (specifically Accuweather) have lobbied Senator Rick Santorum to introduce a bill to ban the National Weather Service from 'competing.' The NOAA just made data available for free on the internet in XML format. Essentially, that means no more free data, and the possible elimination of the NOAA web presence all together. Nothing like being able to buy off a clueless Senator - lets hope the rest do not fall in line, as I for one, do not like to pay for my information twice." This debate picks up where the last one left off. According to the article, the bill's biggest critics are complaining of the bill's vague wording which makes it unclear what exactly is being banned.
This is the body of the bill:
Bill S.786
Title: A bill to clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Santorum, Rick [PA] (introduced 4/14/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 4/14/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
ALL ACTIONS: (color indicates Senate actions)
4/14/2005:
Introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3658)
4/14/2005:
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
COMMITTEE(S):
Committee/Subcommittee: Activity:
Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Referral, In Committee
TEXT:
To clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Weather Service, 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 `National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005'.
SEC. 2. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
(a) IN GENERAL- (1) To protect life and property, the Secretary of Commerce shall, through the National Weather Service, be responsible for the following:
(A) The preparation and issuance of severe weather warnings and forecasts designed for the protection of life and property of the general public.
(B) The preparation and issuance of hydrometeorological guidance and core forecast information.
© The collection and exchange of meteorological, hydrological, climatic, and oceanographic data and information.
(D) The provision of reports, forecasts, warnings, and other advice to the Secretary of Transportation and other persons pursuant to section 44720 of title 49, United States Code.
(E) Such other duties and responsibilities as the Secretary shall specify.
(2) The National Weather Service shall serve as the sole official source of flood warnings and severe weather warnings.
(b) COMPETITION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR- The National Weather Service shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a service or product (other than a service or product described in subsection (a)(1)(A)) that is or could be provided by the private sector unless--
(1) the Secretary determines that the private sector is unwilling or unable to provide such service or product; or
(2) the United States Government is obligated to provide such service or product under international aviation agreements to provide meteorological services and exchange meteorological information.
© ISSUANCE OF DATA, FORECASTS, AND WARNINGS- All data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings received, collected, created, or prepared by the National Weather Service shall, to the maximum extent practicable, be issued in real time, and without delay, in a manner that ensures that all members of the public have the opportunity for simultaneous and equal access to such data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings.
(d) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN DISCLOSURES- An officer, employee, or agent of the National Weather Service, or of any other department or agency of the United States, who comes by reason of that status into possession of any weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning that might influence or affect the market value of any product, service, commodity, tradable, or business may not--
(1) willfully impart, whether directly or indirectly, such weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning, or any part thereof, before the issuance of such weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning to the public under subsection ©; or
(2) after the issuance of such weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning to the public under subsection ©, willfully impart comments or qualifications on such weather data, information, guidance, forecast, or warning, or any part thereof, to the public, except pursuant to an issuance that complies with that subsection.
(e) REGULATIONS- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe regulations to implement the provisions of this section.
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE- The provisions of this section (other than subsection (e)) shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(g) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS- The Act of October 1, 1890 (26 Stat. 653) is amended as follows:
(1) Section 3 (15 U.S.C. 313) is repealed.
(2) Section 9 (15 U.S.C. 317) is amended by striking `, and it shall be' and all that follows and inserting a period.
SEC. 3. REPORT ON MODIFICATION OF NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
(a) REPORT REQUIRED- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that sets forth--
(1) a detailed statement of the activities of the National Weather Service that are inconsistent with the provisions of section 2;
(2) a schedule for the modification of the activities referred to in paragraph (1) in order to conform such activities to the provisions of section 2; and
(3) the regulations prescribed under section 2(e).
(b) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED- In this section, the term `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives.
Michael Potaczala
KC4NUS
This article has expired. No more comments may be added.
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New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by K0JPB on April 24, 2005
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Hello All,
o I believe Accuweather.com and Weather.com and other commercial vendors provide a valuable service to the public by repackaging the information they get from the National Weather Service; however, I do not wish to have my ability to get that information directly from NWS taken away. We all pay the taxes that pay for the National Weather Service. Why should we have to pay again to get the same information from a commercial vendor?
o On one hand, the bill restricts what the NWS can do. On the other hand, Senator Santorum’s office posted it on his website as a "Modernization" to better serve the public. See his press release on his website:
http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.View&ContentRecord_id=1180&Region_id=0&Issue_id=13&CFID=12199122&CFTOKEN=38509331
-- ///// Here is further information:
1) The Bill:
PDF DOCUMENT: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s786is.txt.pdf
SENATE BILL NUMBER: S. 786
TITLE: “To clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.”
SHORT TITLE: "National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005"
2) As of April 24, this bill is in Senate committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation. You can see all members of this committee and the bills that they are working on -- here:
http://commerce.senate.gov/
3) AccuWeather.com is headquartered in Senator Santorum's home state of Pennsylvania:
http://wwwa.accuweather.com/company.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&traveler=0&page=about#headquarters
4) Thomas is a good website to track bills and has links to the Senate and House to find contact information about your Senators and Representative. Call, write or email them to let them know your opinion.
http://thomas.loc.gov/
73,
Patrick, k0jpb
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New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by KE4ZHN on April 25, 2005
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If we banned stupidity, all of Washington DC would be a wasteland. This is the most ridiculous bill Ive heard of yet! I wonder how much the senator received in lobby money to propose this idiotic mess? I hope he chokes on the money.
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RE: New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by KE7DKG on April 27, 2005
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See:
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=3&tstamp=200504
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New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by KN4AG on April 30, 2005
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All this does is prove what I have said all along....we have the best politicians money can buy.
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New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by N7TRZ on May 2, 2005
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How can things move forward (aka improve) if places like Pennsylvania, California, New York, and Massawhatsits keep electing these morons to represent them...
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RE: New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by KB2VXA on May 5, 2005
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Here we go again with the knee-jerk reactions to incomplete information.
The bill if enacted would prohibit the private sector from using raw data collected by the NWS to compile a weather report. Once the report is compiled by the NWS itself it still may be used as the basis of reports compiled by the private sector. Es claro a mismo?
Sorry guys, it's a troll and you bit here and on every forum it has appeared on.
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RE: New Bill Would Ban Public NOAA Weather Data:
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by KC4NUS on May 23, 2005
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Not sure who you believe you are calling a troll, but the entire bill was posted with the first post. As long as a person can read they have the base information needed to understand what the Senator is trying to do.
Apparently other Senators see what the Senator from PA is trying to do also. This is the reply I received from Senator Nelson of FL.
------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting me regarding the National Weather Service.
The weather information provided on its website is invaluable and should
not be limited.
The National Weather service is a branch of the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It is the primary
source of weather data, forecasts, and warnings to the United States, and
provides information to television broadcasters and private meteorology
companies to prepare their forecasts. During the hurricane season of 2004,
when Florida was being battered by Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and
Jeanne, the National Weather Service provided valuable information through
its website to the people of Florida to help them prepare for the disaster.
During these hurricanes, The National Weather Service website received
billions of hits, breaking a government record previously held by NASA
sites after the Mars rover landing last spring.
Legislation has been introduced that would limit the ability of the
National Weather Service to offer its information to the general public.
S. 786, the National Weather Service Duties Act, introduced on April 14,
2005, would, among other things, prevent the National Weather Service from
providing weather forecasts (with the exception of severe weather warnings)
to the public on its website if a private company also is capable providing
this information.
I oppose the National Weather Service Duties Act because it has a
variety of negative effects. This legislation would force consumers to get
on-line weather information from commercial websites that are cluttered
with pop-up ads and invasive solicitations, even though the consumer has
already paid for the taxpayer-funded National Weather Service. It would
prevent any National Weather Service forecaster from doing a one-on-one
interview with a news reporter, and could even prevent the National Weather
Service from providing any service on-line that is provided by a private
vendor. I have written a letter to President Bush asking that he publicly
oppose this attempt to push the weather service back to its pre-Internet
era and limit the public's right to access government information.
I appreciate your informed policy suggestions. Please do not
hesitate to contact me again in the future.
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