To establish a comprehensive research program aimed at understanding and predicting the natural processes that lead to the formation of tornadoes.

April 2, 2004

Mr. CRAMER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

To establish a comprehensive research program aimed at understanding and predicting the natural processes that lead to the formation of tornadoes.

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 `Tornado Research Act of 2004'.

SEC. 2. TORNADO RESEARCH PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment of Program- The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a tornado research program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to be carried out in coordination with the National Weather Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and any other appropriate Federal agencies.

(b) Program Duties- The tornado research program established pursuant to subsection (a) shall--

(1) include research aimed at understanding and predicting the natural processes that lead to the formation of tornadoes;

(2) identify an array of factors that indicate the formation of tornadoes;

(3) promote the incorporation of the results of the research conducted under the program into the methods used by meteorologists to predict the time and location of the formation of tornadoes;

(4) provide resources and promote attention to tornado research areas with the greatest potential for improving the understanding of the formation of tornadoes;

(5) maximize the effectiveness of the program by encouraging collaborative efforts by operational and research communities in academia and the Federal Government; and

(6) provide for the awarding of competitive research grants to, and the entering into of cooperative agreements with, institutions of higher education and other research institutions to conduct peer-reviewed research that may improve the forecast and identification of tornadoes.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION.

For purposes of this Act, the term `institution of higher education' has the meaning given to that term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for the purpose of carrying out this Act--

(1) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;

(2) $4,000,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which at least 50 percent shall be for the competitive research grants and cooperative agreements described in section 2(b)(6); and

(3) $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008, of which at least 50 percent each fiscal year shall be for the competitive research grants and cooperative agreements described in section 2(b)(6).

END