Atmospheric Climate Intervention Research Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 5519 To amend the America COMPETES Act to improve measurement and assess- ment capabilities for understanding proposed atmospheric interventions in Earth’s climate, including, as a priority, the effects of proposed inter- ventions in the stratosphere and in cloud-aerosol processes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DECEMBER 19, 2019 Mr. MCNERNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To amend the America COMPETES Act to improve meas- urement and assessment capabilities for understanding proposed atmospheric interventions in Earth’s climate, including, as a priority, the effects of proposed interven- tions in the stratosphere and in cloud-aerosol processes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Atmospheric Climate 4 Intervention Research Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 5519 IH (1) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- 1 ministration (referred to in this section as ‘‘NOAA’’) 2 and its Office of Ocean and Atmospheric Research 3 undertakes research, including scientific research, 4 computer modeling and other forms of analysis, and 5 uses satellite, airborne, and ground-based systems to 6 monitor atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, in- 7 cluding radiative forcing gases and stratospheric 8 ozone as well as the chemical compounds and atmos- 9 pheric conditions that affect its concentration. 10 (2) The NOAA Earth System Research Labora- 11 tory, the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab- 12 oratory, and the NOAA Air Resource Laboratory are 13 actively involved in observations, modeling, and mon- 14 itoring that enhance the scientific understanding of 15 atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, drivers of ra- 16 diative forcing of climate change in the atmosphere, 17 the health of the stratosphere, including ozone and 18 the processes affecting its concentration in the strat- 19 osphere, and cloud aerosol interactions and their cli- 20 mate effects. 21 (3) There are significant risks posed by the po- 22 tential introduction of material into the stratosphere 23 from natural events such as volcanic eruptions, in- 24 creased air and space traffic, and proposals to inject 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 5519 IH material to temporarily reduce global radiative forc- 1 ing of climate that currently are the subject of a 2 forthcoming report by the National Academies of 3 Sciences. 4 (4) To monitor and assess these risks requires 5 significant improvements to observations of the 6 abundances and chemistry of the stratospheric gases 7 and particles and the reflectivity of the stratosphere 8 to establish the baseline state of the stratosphere 9 and its trend over time and to develop enhancements 10 to stratospheric models used for predicting climate 11 impacts of material introduced into the stratosphere 12 by natural or other means. 13 (5) Under the Weather Modification Reporting 14 Act of 1972 (15 U.S.C. 330 et seq.), NOAA is re- 15 sponsible for oversight of any activities undertaken 16 to modify weather, which includes research or test- 17 ing activities related to modifying the atmosphere to 18 affect local, regional, or global climate (defined as 19 atmospheric climate intervention under such Act). 20 (6) The Montreal Protocol, finalized in 1987, 21 and ratified by the United States in 1988, has prov- 22 en to be innovative and successful in protecting the 23 Earth’s ozone layer, and is the only environmental 24 treaty to achieve universal ratification by all coun- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 5519 IH tries in the world. The United States has been a 1 leader within the Protocol throughout its existence. 2 Hence, the Protocol should remain the governing 3 global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone 4 layer. 5 SEC. 3. STRATOSPHERE AND CLIMATE INTERVENTION RE- 6 SEARCH PROGRAM. 7 Section 4001 of the America COMPETES Act (33 8 U.S.C. 893) is amended— 9 (1) in subsection (a)— 10 (A) by striking ‘‘atmospheric research’’ 11 and inserting ‘‘atmospheric and climate inter- 12 vention research’’; and 13 (B) by inserting ‘‘and observational, moni- 14 toring, forecasting,’’ after ‘‘advanced tech- 15 nologies’’; and 16 (2) in subsection (b)— 17 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘and at- 18 mospheric’’ and inserting ‘‘, ATMOSPHERIC, 19 AND CLIMATE INTERVENTION’’; 20 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 21 the end; 22 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking the pe- 23 riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 24 (D) by adding at the end the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 5519 IH ‘‘(4) to improve measurement and assessment 1 capabilities for understanding proposed atmospheric 2 interventions in climate, including, as a priority, the 3 effects of proposed interventions in the stratosphere 4 and in cloud-aerosol processes; 5 ‘‘(5) within the Office of Ocean and Atmos- 6 pheric Research of the National Oceanic and Atmos- 7 pheric Administration, to undertake research, includ- 8 ing scientific research, and develop increased obser- 9 vations, improved models, new analyses, computing 10 and related technologies, and risk assessment to im- 11 prove understanding and prediction of— 12 ‘‘(A) the chemistry and dynamics of the 13 stratosphere; 14 ‘‘(B) Earth’s radiation budget; and 15 ‘‘(C) the impacts of changes in atmos- 16 pheric aerosol forcing on the Earth’s energy 17 balance and climate; 18 ‘‘(6) to expand the use of cloud computing, 19 space-based and ground-based remote sensing capa- 20 bilities, and other commercially available tech- 21 nologies to accelerate research; and 22 ‘‘(7) within the Office of Oceanic and Atmos- 23 pheric Research, to assess and advise the Secretary 24 with respect to reports submitted under the Weather 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 5519 IH Modification Reporting Act of 1972 (15 U.S.C. 330 1 et seq.) relating to atmospheric climate intervention 2 experiments, and, as determined appropriate by the 3 Office, make available to the public findings and 4 data relating to such reports.’’. 5 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:08 Dec 29, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5519.IH H5519 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS