FLOODS Act
Public Law 117-316 · S. 558 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 27, 2022 · Public Lands and Natural Resources
Sponsor: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Cosponsors (3): Sen. Gary Peters, Sen. Joni Ernst,
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act
This act addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
For example, the act directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to inform and provide for timely decisions to reduce flood-related effects and costs.
NOAA must also establish partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions. In addition, NOAA must (1) evaluate and improve flash flood watches and warnings, (2) estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation, and (3) identify gaps in the availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
Further, NOAA must ensure that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets (i.e., a network of certain weather observing stations).
In addition, the National Weather Service must designate a service coordination hydrologist at each of its River Forecast Centers to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level.
Finally, the act establishes an Interagency Committee on Water Management and Infrastructure to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1438Related bill
FLOODS Act
H.Res. 1518Related bill
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1948) to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health Administration; providing for co…
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Dec 27, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-316.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 23, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 14, 2022FloorFloor · Pursuant to section 5 of H. Res. 1518, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1082, as amended; H.R. 5349; H.R. 6218; H.R. 6220; H.R. 6221; H.R. 6611, as amended; H.R. 6630; H.R. 6725; H.R. 7077, agreed to Senate amend…
- FloorFloor · Pursuant to section 5 of H. Res. 1518, and the motion offered by Mr. Hoyer, the following bills passed under suspension of the rules: H.R. 1082, as amended; H.R. 5349; H.R. 6218; H.R. 6220; H.R. 6221; H.R. 6611, as amended; H.R. 6630; H.R. 6725; H.R. 7…
- FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1518, proceedings on S. 558 are considered vacated.
- Dec 12, 2022FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 558.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Beyer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Oct 1, 2021FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 30, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Apr 28, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Mar 3, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 3840SenateSen. Roger WickerR-MS· offered Sep 30, 2021Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 30, 2021: Amendment SA 3840 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.