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FLOODS Act

Introduced: August 6, 2020 Introduced by: Wicker, Roger F. Republican · Mississippi See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 10 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 17, 2020
Received in the House.
Nov 17, 2020
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Nov 17, 2020
Held at the desk.
Nov 16, 2020
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S6694-6698; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6694-6698)
Nov 16, 2020
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S6694-6698; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S6694-6698)
Sep 24, 2020
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 556.
Sep 24, 2020
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-269.
Sep 16, 2020
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Aug 6, 2020
Introduced in Senate
Aug 6, 2020
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act

This bill addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Among other provisions, the bill

  • directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decision-making to reduce flood-related effects and costs;
  • establishes partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions;
  • designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level;
  • requires NOAA to evaluate and improve flood watches and warnings and communication of information to support preparation and responses to floods;
  • ensures that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets;
  • requires NOAA to estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation;
  • establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies, water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure, transportation on rivers and inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities; and
  • directs NOAA to conduct an analysis of gaps in the availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
What's happening now November 17, 2020

Held at the desk.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1