WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) – both members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies – introduced the Federal Operational Resilience in Emergency Conditions and Storm Tracking (FORECAST) Act that would exempt certain National Weather Service (NWS) employees from any executive order or memorandum imposing a hiring freeze.

The roles included in the exemption include positions responsible for issuing weather and flood warnings, maintaining critical observational equipment and protecting life and property. Additionally, this legislation requires the Secretary of Commerce to submit a report after one year of enactment on staffing levels at the NWS for those covered positions.

“Staffing National Weather Service offices, particularly in rural parts of the country, is a constant challenge, and recent staffing shortages have led to some offices, including in Kansas, being unable to provide 24/7 weather forecasting,” said Sen. Moran. “As we work to install new technology and modernize the National Weather Service, it is important the NWS is able to continuously fill critical public safety roles as they become vacant to make certain communities across the country receive timely, accurate weather data.”

“We know that in the Upper Peninsula, weather can change on a dime. That’s why we need a team of full-time meteorologists working around the clock to notify the public when extreme weather impacts the region,” said Sen. Peters. “This bill would help protect 24/7 weather monitoring in the UP and ensure we keep our communities informed and protected.”

Sen. Moran recently secured a national exemption from the federal hiring freeze to enable the NWS to hire meteorologists and weather forecasters. As employees retired or left for other jobs, the Goodland NWS office had to cease night-time forecasting in May due to staffing shortages. While Goodland NWS works to fill these vacancies, the office will be temporarily staffed by a rotation of NWS employees from other offices to return to 24/7 operations on June 15.

During a recent Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies hearing, Sen. Moran questioned Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the importance of the NWS and making certain safety-critical NWS meteorologists and hydrologists remain protected from federal hiring freezes.

Click HERE to read the full text of the legislation.

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