SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026

On 2026-09-30, Senator John Thune (R-SD) delivered a floor speech titled "SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026" in the Senate.

SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 155 (Wednesday, September 30, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S5296-S5297] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2026 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 637, S. 2437. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 2437) to amend the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act to reauthorize the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program, and for other purposes. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. SNOW WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING PROGRAM. The Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Authorization Act (43 U.S.C. 1477) is amended-- (1) in subsection (c)(2)-- (A) in subparagraph (A)-- (i) by striking ``develop'' and inserting ``continue developing''; and (ii) by striking ``culminating in the report required under subsection (d)(3)'' and inserting ``with an emphasis on development and deployment of more accurate, timely, and cost-effective snow monitoring technologies and water supply forecasting, including technologies that integrate snowpack measuring and modeling''; and (B) in subparagraph (B)-- (i) by striking ``after submitting the report required by subsection (d)(3),''; and (ii) by inserting ``and to improve water supply forecasting'' after ``watersheds''; (2) in subsection (d)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``and water supply forecasting'' after ``data''; (ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement, such as'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurements and methods to forecast water supply, including''; (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end; and (iv) by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following: ``(C) imaging spectroscopy; ``(D) machine learning; ``(E) snowpack and hydrologic modeling; and ``(F) other technologies that the Secretary determines are likely to provide more accurate or timely snowpack measurement data or analytical methods utilizing snowpack data that can improve water supply forecasting to inform water management and reservoir operations.''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``emerging technologies for snowpack measurement'' and inserting ``technologies for snowpack measurement and models, including the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration''; and (C) by striking paragraph (3); (3) in subsection (e)-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) by striking ``After submitting the report required under subsection (d)(3), the'' and inserting ``The''; and (ii) by striking ``in particular watersheds'' and inserting ``and water supply forecasts in particular watersheds and to explore new statistical, machine learning, or physical models to generate improved water supply forecasts utilizing snowpack data''; and (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following: ``(2) Focus.--The program shall focus on activities that will maintain, establish, expand, or advance snowpack measurement and modeling projected water supply, with an emphasis on-- ``(A) enhancing activities to achieve improved snow and water supply forecasting results that are more responsive to changing weather and watershed conditions; ``(B) activities in river basins where activities described in this section relating to snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting can inform water management decisions or models at a multi-water user, multi-basin, or multi-State scale, including interstate water management decisions; and ``(C) building the capacity of program partners to implement and adapt to the new measurement and forecasting capabilities enabled under the program.''; (4) in subsection (f)-- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``this Act'' and inserting ``the Snow Water Supply Forecasting Program Reauthorization Act of 2026''; (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or sub-basin''; (C) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (4); and (D) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ``(1) a list of basins for which snowpack measurement and integrated modeling technologies are being used under the program, including a description of each application, outcome, and data resource used; ``(2) an assessment of which technologies best inform water supply forecasting for multiple water districts, communities, or States; ``(3) an assessment of forecasts generated using new technologies authorized under this Act compared against water supply forecast benchmarks from the Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and''; and (5) in subsection (g), by striking ``$15,000,000, in the aggregate, for fiscal years 2022 through 2026'' and inserting ``$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031''. Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee- reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was agreed to. [[Page S5297]] The bill (S. 2437), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed. ____________________

Referenced legislation: S2437, S2437