Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Cruz Introduce $2.5 Billion Bill to Replace Aging Hurricane Hunter Planes
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for review. It is considered active, but no further hearings or votes have been scheduled at this time.
This bill has strong bipartisan support from leaders on the relevant committee and addresses a critical public safety need that usually gets broad support in Congress.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small business owners in hurricane-vulnerable regions benefit indirectly from improved storm forecasting. Better data on hurricane tracks and intensity gives businesses more lead time to protect inventory, secure property, and plan for closures, potentially reducing economic losses from storms.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The legislation would codify NOAA's Hurricane Hunter mission in federal law and authorize up to nine aircraft. It includes $2.5 billion for acquisitions to improve forecasts for hurricanes, atmospheric rivers, and winter storms as the current fleet reaches 50 years of service.
Senator Maria Cantwell introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize NOAA's Hurricane Hunter fleet. The bill authorizes $2.5 billion for new aircraft and $45 million annually for maintenance, ensuring the fleet can handle increasing demands from hurricanes and atmospheric rivers.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Hurricane Hunter Aircraft Recapitalization Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.