Bill to Limit NWS Duties

Earlier this month, Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) introduced a bill that would limit some of the duties of the National Weather Service. He introduced the bill because of a policy change in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration implemented in December. The change rescinded a 1991 provision that restricted the National Weather Service from providing products and services that compete with private weather forecasting firms. This includes specialized forecasts for farmers, marine interests, utilities and business.

Read the bill here:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-786

Proponents of the bill say that the National Weather Service wastes money on providing services that are already being provided by the private sector. They say that certain activities take away from the National Weather Service’s core mission of collecting data, maintaining a modern meteorological network and issuing forecasts and warnings for severe weather.

Opponents say that private weather forecasting firms, which will benefit from the bill, are attempting to use a pro-business administration to unfairly limit their competition. Private firms respond that they have no such intention, and that the 1991 measures led to a healthy explosion of weather forecasting companies and products that have benefited the public.

Santorum’s bill, called the National Weather Service Duties Act of 2005, is now in the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

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