PUBLIC LAW 102-567—OCT. 29, 1992

106 STAT. 4275

(D) develop and use nationally accepted formats and stand-
ards for data collected by various national and international
sources; and

(£) integrate and interpret data from different sources
to produce information that can be used by decisionmakers
in developing policies that effectively respond to national and
global environmental concerns.

(2) Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment
of this Act and biennially thereafter, the Secretary of Commerce
shall develop and 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 com-
prehensive plan, based on the assessment under paragraph (1),
to modernize and improve the environmental data and information
systems of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The report shall—

(A) set forth modernization and improvement objectives
for the 10-year period beginning with the year in which the
plan is submitted, including facility requirements and critical
new technological components that would be necessary to meet
the objectives set forth;

(B) propose specific agency programs and activities for
implementing the plan;

(C) identify the data and information management,
archival, and distribution responsibilities of the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration with respect to other
Federal departments and agencies and international organiza-
tions, including the role of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration with respect to large data systems
like the Earth Observing System Data and Information System;
and

(D) provide an implementation schedule and estimate fund-
ing levels necessary to achieve modernization and improvement
objectives.

SEC. 107. HURRICANE RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—<1) The Secretary of Defense
and the Secretary of Commerce shall establish a 5-year joint pro-
gram for collecting operational and reconnaissance data, conducting
research, and analyzing data on tropical cyclones to assist the
forecast and warning program and increase the understanding of
the causes and behavior of tropical cyclones.

(2) The Secretary of Commerce shall establish the Tropical
Cyclone Research Advisory Committee, an advisory committee of
tropical cyclone research scientists, to make recommendations for
tropical cyclone research activities and reconnaissance procedures.

(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.-^!) The Secretary of Defense shall have
the responsibility for maintaining, flying, and funding tropical
cyclone reconnaissance aircraft to accomplish the program estab-
lished under this section and to transfer the data to the Secretary
of Commerce. Program responsibility may not be transferred to
any other Federal department or agency, including the Coast Guard,
without the agreement and approval of the Secretary of Defense,
the Secretary of Commerce, and the head of any other Federal
agency or department to which the responsibility is transferred.

(2) The Secretary of Commerce shall have the responsibility
to provide funding for data gathering and research by remote sens-

Reports.

15 USC 313 note.