[aprssig] National Weather Services Duties Act (S. 786 )

[Chris Rose]

This is part of the bill.  Does it mean that the
current method of diseminating data will be stopped
and turned over to a third party that will charge us
to see it?   See the last paragraph.  

(I did the search as suggested and found the text of
the legislation).

Chris 
KB8UIH


(b) COMPETITION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR- The Secretary of
Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities
in providing, a product or service (other than a
product or service described in subsection (a)(1))
that is or could be provided by the private sector
unless--

(1) the Secretary determines that the private sector
is unwilling or unable to provide such product or
service; or

(2) the United States Government is obligated to
provide such product or service under international
aviation agreements to provide meteorological services
and exchange meteorological information.

(c) ISSUANCE OF DATA, FORECASTS, AND WARNINGS-

(1) IN GENERAL- All data, information, guidance,
forecasts, and warnings received, collected, created,
or prepared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration or the National Weather Service shall,
to the maximum extent practicable, be issued in real
time, and without delay for internal use, in a manner
that ensures that all members of the public have the
opportunity for simultaneous and equal access to such
data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings.

(2) MODE OF ISSUANCE- Data, information, guidance,
forecasts, and warnings shall be issued under
paragraph (1) through a set of data portals designed
for volume access by commercial providers of products
or services and by such other mechanisms as the
Secretary of Commerce considers appropriate for
purposes of that paragraph.
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