Three House panels will meet this week to discuss strategies for natural disaster recovery and weather prediction. The House Science, Space and Technology Committee will mark up the “Weather Act Reauthorization” bill, H.R. 3816, by ranking member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and the Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), the committee’s former chair. The legislation seeks to fund and improve NOAA forecasting capabilities and its work to inform the public, along with promoting collaboration with the private sector. The bill comes as lawmakers worry about staffing woes at the National Weather Service — particularly after this month’s deadly flooding in Texas — and lawmakers debate whether to cut NOAA spending.

Other NOAA and FEMA news:

• CNN: Trump admin to proceed with groundbreaking flash flood risk database, reversing course after media reports
• JURIST Legal News: US states sue Trump to block FEMA program funding cuts
• SeafoodSource: Senate budget would shrink NOAA Fisheries’ budget slightly, despite Trump administration’s demand for steep cuts