Gillen-Led Amendments Included in Bipartisan Weather Act
WASHINGTON, DC — Last week, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04), introduced two amendments to the bipartisan Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025, which was passed by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee during a full committee markup on Wednesday.
“I was proud to support bipartisan legislation to help improve America’s weather forecasting and strengthen emergency preparedness for coastal communities, including the South Shore of Long Island,” said Rep. Gillen. “My commonsense amendments will help coastal communities on Long Island respond to rip currents and keep America’s travelers safe in our skies. I’ll continue to work with my Science, Space and Technology colleagues on bipartisan solutions to the pressing issues we face."
The Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 builds on the success of the committee’s Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 and would further enhance the capabilities of the U.S. weather enterprise by modernizing essential research programs, advancing innovative forecasting and prediction methods, and improving emergency preparedness for communities nationwide.
Rep. Gillen’s amendments would:
- Help coastal communities respond to rip currents through NOAA’s Coastal Flooding and Storm Surge Forecast Improvement program.
- Ensure that aviation meteorologists have the support they need to keep America’s air travelers safe by requiring each of the National Weather Service’s Central Weather Service Units to be adequately staffed.