Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025
Summary
The "Improving Flood and Agricultural Forecasts Act of 2025" mandates the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to maintain the National Mesonet Program. The program aims to enhance weather and environmental forecasting capabilities, particularly for flood and agricultural purposes. It focuses on integrating diverse environmental data sources and improving data density for more accurate predictions.
Expected Effects
The Act will likely lead to improved weather forecasting, benefiting agriculture, emergency management, and public safety. It also promotes collaboration between federal and non-federal entities in environmental monitoring. The Act allocates specific funding for fiscal years 2025-2029 to support the program's implementation.
Potential Benefits
- Improved weather forecasting accuracy, especially for flood and agricultural forecasts.
- Enhanced coordination between federal, state, tribal, private, and academic entities in environmental monitoring.
- Increased data density and integration of diverse environmental observations.
- Support for local and regional networks of environmental monitoring stations.
- Financial and technical assistance to state, tribal, private and academic entities to build, expand, or upgrade mesonet systems.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for bureaucratic inefficiencies in administering the program and distributing funds.
- Risk of data quality issues if non-federal data sources are not adequately vetted.
- Possible delays or challenges in establishing memoranda of understanding with external networks.
- The program's success depends on sustained funding and effective coordination among various stakeholders.
- There is a risk that the focus on specific areas (flood and agriculture) may lead to underinvestment in other critical weather monitoring aspects.
Constitutional Alignment
The Act aligns with the Constitution's mandate to "promote the general Welfare" (Preamble) by improving public safety and economic stability through better weather forecasting. Congress's power to regulate commerce (Article I, Section 8) supports federal involvement in weather monitoring and forecasting, which impacts interstate commerce and agriculture. The Act does not appear to infringe on any specific constitutional rights or limitations.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).