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S 5361118th CongressFailed / ExpiredSenate

Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act

Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications
View on Congress.gov
Origin Chamber
Senate
Last Updated
Jan 7, 2026
Latest Action Date
Nov 20, 2024

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S6687-6688)

Official Summary

Official summary has not been imported yet.

GovScope Watchdog™

AI Government Intelligence™
Executive Summary

The Improving Atmospheric River Forecasts Act (S.5361) is a Senate bill introduced in the 118th Congress aimed at enhancing the forecasting capabilities related to atmospheric rivers, which are significant weather phenomena that can cause heavy rainfall and flooding. The bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation but ultimately failed or expired without further legislative action. No official summary or full text is available, limiting detailed analysis of specific provisions.

Bottom Line

S.5361 sought to improve atmospheric river forecasting but did not advance beyond committee referral and expired without passage.

Policy Risk Level
🟡 Medium
Neutral Risk Assessment
Key Points
  • The bill focuses on improving scientific and technological capabilities for forecasting atmospheric rivers.
  • It was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  • The bill did not progress beyond referral and is currently classified as failed or expired.
Who Benefits?

['Federal agencies involved in weather forecasting and climate science, such as NOAA.', 'Communities and regions vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather caused by atmospheric rivers.', 'Emergency management organizations and infrastructure planners.']

Potential Concerns

['Lack of available full text and official summary limits understanding of specific implementation mechanisms and funding.', 'Potential challenges in coordination among federal agencies and stakeholders for improved forecasting.', 'Uncertainty about oversight provisions and accountability measures due to missing detailed legislative language.']

Political Context

The bill was introduced during the 118th Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. It did not advance further and expired, reflecting either limited legislative prioritization or competing legislative agendas within the committee or chamber. The policy area aligns with science and technology efforts to enhance weather forecasting capabilities.

Hidden Impact Review

Hidden impact flags detected: 1

GovScope reviewed 1 policy-risk categories. Hover for a quick definition. Click detected flags for bill-specific details.

1 Detected
Detected Flags
Indirect Effects

['Improved atmospheric river forecasts could enhance disaster preparedness and reduce economic losses from flooding.', 'Advancements in forecasting technology may stimulate related scientific research and innovation.', 'Better data could influence infrastructure planning and insurance risk assessments in affected regions.']

GovScope Watchdog Notes

Due to the lack of full legislative text and an official summary, transparency and oversight are limited for this bill. Stakeholders and the public have restricted access to detailed provisions, funding sources, and enforcement mechanisms, which are critical for evaluating the bill's potential effectiveness and accountability.

Passage Likelihood: LowConfidence: 70%Model: gpt-4.1-mini

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