Commercial weather data
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(a) Data and hosted satellite payloadsNotwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Commerce may enter into agreements for—
(1)
the purchase of weather data through contracts with commercial providers; and
(2)
the placement of weather satellite instruments on cohosted government or private payloads.
(b) Strategy
(1) In general
Not later than 180 days after April 18, 2017, the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Under Secretary, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a strategy to enable the procurement of quality commercial weather data. The strategy shall assess the range of commercial opportunities, including public-private partnerships, for obtaining surface-based, aviation-based, and space-based weather observations. The strategy shall include the expected cost-effectiveness of these opportunities as well as provide a plan for procuring data, including an expected implementation timeline, from these nongovernmental sources, as appropriate.