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Washington D.C. — Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) celebrated the passage of National Mesonet Program legislation he authored alongside Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK) that was advanced through the House today as part of H.R. 6093, the Weather Act Reauthorization. The legislation passed through the House with sweeping bipartisan support. Tonko and Bice introduced the bill to improve coverage and accuracy of the current National Mesonet program, a key part of preparedness, and response to extreme weather.

“Mesonet networks across the nation — including the New York State Mesonet operated by the University at Albany — serve a key role as an indicator for severe weather and help keep our communities safe,” Congressman Tonko said. “With climate change increasing extreme weather occurrences, bolstering our National Mesonet Program is more important than ever. I urge the Senate to take up and advance this bill swiftly to improve our weather monitoring capabilities and bolster public safety.”

Representatives Tonko and Bice introduced their National Mesonet Authorization Act last year to enhance the National Mesonet Program’s ability to provide reliable, real-time observations capabilities. Specifically, this legislation would empower more state and regional partnerships across the country, and expand and improve the data collected by established systems.