Space Weather An Overview of Policy and Select U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Updated January 6 2020 Congressional Research Service https crsreports congress gov R46049 SUMMARY Space Weather An Overview of Policy and Select U S Government Roles and Responsibilities R46049 January 6 2020 Eva Lipiec Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Space weather refers to conditions on the sun in the solar wind and within the extreme reaches of Earth’s upper atmosphere In certain circumstances space weather may pose Brian E Humphreys Analyst in Science and hazards to space-borne and ground-based critical infrastructure systems and assets that Technology Policy are vulnerable to geomagnetically induced current electromagnetic interference or radiation exposure Hazardous space weather events are rare but may affect broad areas of the globe Effects may include physical damage to satellites or orbital degradation accelerated corrosion of gas pipelines disruption of radio communications damage to undersea cable systems or interference with data transmission permanent damage to large power transformers essential to electric grid operations and radiation hazards to astronauts in orbit In 2010 Congress directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP to improve national preparedness for space weather events and to coordinate related federal space weather efforts P L 111267 OSTP established the Space Weather Operations Research and Mitigation SWORM Working Group which released several strategic and implementation plans including the 2019 National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan The White House provided further guidance through two executive orders E O 13744 and E O 13865 regarding space weather and electromagnetic pulses EMPs respectively The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service are the primary civilian agencies responsible for space weather forecasting The National Laboratories administered by the Department of Energy the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA and the National Science Foundation support forecasting activities with scientific research Likewise the U S Geological Survey provides data on the earth’s variable magnetic field to inform understanding of the solar-terrestrial interface The Department of Homeland Security disseminates warnings forecasts and long-term risk assessments to government and industry stakeholders as appropriate The Department of Energy is responsible for coordinating recovery in case of damage or disruption to the electric grid The Department of State is responsible for engagement with international partners to mitigate hazards of space weather The Department of Defense supports military operations with its own space weather forecasting capabilities sharing expertise and data with other federal agencies as appropriate The Congressional Budget Office estimated that federal agencies participating in the SWORM Working Group “allocated a combined total of nearly $350 million to activities related to space weather” in FY2019 NASA allocated the majority $264 million of the $350 million total Congress enacted S 1790 in December 2019 as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 2020 NDAA The 2020 NDAA amended Sections 320 and 707 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 P L 107296 to enact a series of homeland security-related provisions that parallel the E O 13865 framework for critical infrastructure resilience and emergency response The 2020 NDAA also repealed Section 1691 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 P L 115-91 which authorized a “Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks and Similar Events ” Other provisions in the 2020 NDAA require the National Guard to clarify relevant “roles and missions structure capabilities and training ” and report to Congress no later than September 30 2020 on its readiness to respond to electromagnetic pulse events affecting multiple states Separately some Members of Congress have introduced the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act S 881 which would define certain federal agency roles and responsibilities among other provisions Congressional Research Service Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Contents Introduction 1 Federal Interagency Activities 2 Select Department and Agency Roles and Responsibilities 6 Department of Commerce 6 Department of Defense DOD 7 Air Force 9 Army 9 Navy 9 Department of Energy DOE 9 Office of Cyber Security Energy Security and Emergency Response CESER 10 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC 11 North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC 11 National Laboratories 12 Department of Homeland Security DHS 12 Science and Technology Directorate S T 13 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA 13 Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA 13 Department of the Interior DOI 14 Department of State DOS 14 Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs OES 15 National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA 16 National Science Foundation NSF 17 Federal Agency Spending on Space Weather Activities 18 Legislation in the 116th Congress 19 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 P L 116-92 19 The Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act S 881 and Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow PROSWIFT Act H R 5260 20 Figures Figure 1 Examples of Potential Effects of Space Weather 2 Figure 2 2019 National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan Objectives by Agency 5 Figure 3 NASA Heliophysics Satellites as of July 2019 17 Tables Table 1 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 7 Table 2 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 8 Table 3 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Energy Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 10 Table 4 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Homeland Security Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 12 Congressional Research Service Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Table 5 Responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 14 Table 6 Responsibilities of the Secretary of State Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 15 Table 7 Summary of Requirements in Section 1740 of the 2020 NDAA 19 Contacts Author Information 20 Congressional Research Service Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Introduction Space weather refers to the dynamic conditions in Earth’s outer space environment This includes conditions on the Sun in the solar wind and in Earth’s upper atmosphere 1 Space weather phenomena include     solar flares or periodic intense bursts of radiation from the sun caused by the sudden release of magnetic energy coronal mass ejections composed of clouds of solar plasma and electromagnetic radiation ejected into space from the sun high-speed solar wind streams emitted from low density regions of the sun and solar energetic particles or highly-charged particles formed at the front of solar flares and coronal mass ejections 2 Hazardous space weather events are rare but may cause geomagnetic disturbances GMDs that affect broad areas of the globe Such events may pose hazards to space-borne and ground-based CI systems and assets that are vulnerable to geomagnetically induced current electromagnetic interference or radiation exposure see Figure 1 3 Several notable events illustrate space weather hazards and how their potential impact has broadened over time with technological advances The 1859 “Carrington event ” named for the British solar astronomer who first observed it caused auroras as far south as Central America and disrupted telegraph communications In 1972 a GMD knocked out long-distance telephone service in Illinois In 1989 another GMD caused a nine-hour blackout in Quebec and melted some power transformers in New Jersey In 2005 X-rays from a solar storm disrupted GPS signals for a short time 4 This report provides an overview of federal government policy developed under the existing legislative framework and describes the specific roles and responsibilities of select federal departments and agencies responsible for the study and mitigation of space weather hazards National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA “Space Weather ” at https www nasa gov mission_pages rbsp science rbsp-spaceweather html 2 NASA “Solar Storm and Space Weather—Frequently Asked Questions ” at https www nasa gov mission_pages sunearth spaceweather index html#q2 National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan March 2019 at https www whitehouse gov wp-content uploads 2019 03 National-Space-WeatherStrategy-and-Action-Plan-2019 pdf and University of California at Berkeley “Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections ” at http cse ssl berkeley edu coronalweather CMEsFlares 3 Geomagnetic currents occur when changes in the Earth’s magnetic field caused by space weather induce currents in power transmission lines or other long conductive lines Such currents may cause damage to critical system components such as large power transformers See Michael Kelly and Russell Bent GMD Coupling to Power Systems and Disturbance Mitigation Los Alamos National Laboratory January 24 2018 online at https permalink lanl gov object tr what info lanl-repo lareport LA-UR-18-20499 4 See NASA “A Super Solar Flare ” at https science nasa gov science-news science-at-nasa 2008 06may_carringtonflare 1 Congressional Research Service 1 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Figure 1 Examples of Potential Effects of Space Weather Source NASA email communication with NASA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs September 6 2019 Federal Interagency Activities Over the past several decades the federal government’s interest in space weather and its effects has grown Congress has required individual federal agencies to conduct certain space weatherrelated activities related to agency missions However federal interagency work began in earnest with the establishment of the interagency National Space Weather Program NSWP in 1995 by the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology 5 The program was directed by the NSWP Council that included representatives from interested federal agencies The NWSP Council coordinated federal space weather strategy development between 1995 and 2015 in partnership with federal agencies industry and the academic community 6 Michael F Bonadonna “The National Space Weather Program Two Decades of Interagency Partnership and Accomplishments ” 2016 at https agupubs onlinelibrary wiley com doi 10 1002 2016SW001523 Hereinafter Bonadonna 2016 6 The NSWP Council was comprised of representatives from the Departments of Defense Energy Homeland Security the Interior State and Transportation National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA National Science Foundation NSF Office of Science and Technology OSTP and Office of Management and Budget OMB See Bonadonna 2016 5 Congressional Research Service 2 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities In 2010 Congress directed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy OSTP to improve national preparedness for space weather events and to coordinate federal space weather activities of the NSWP Council 7 This marked the beginning of a period during which the White House assumed leadership of federal space weather policy OSTP’s National Science and Technology Council established the Space Weather Operations Research and Mitigation SWORM Working Group in 2014 to lead federal strategy and policy development 8 The NSWP Council was deactivated the following year when SWORM published a national space weather preparedness strategy titled the “National Space Weather Strategy” the 2015 Plan 9 In 2016 President Obama signed Executive Order E O 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events” directing federal space weather preparedness activities to be carried out “in conjunction” with those activities already identified in the 2015 Plan 10 The SWORM Working Group released an updated national space weather strategy in 2019 titled “The National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan” the 2019 Plan 11 The same year President Trump signed E O 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” directing the federal government to “foster sustainable efficient and cost-effective approaches” to improve national resilience to the effects of electromagnetic pulses 12 1995–2019 Chronology of Space Weather Federal Coordination 1995 NSWP is established under Department of Commerce auspices and directed by the NSWP Council 2010 Congress directs OSTP to improve national preparedness for space weather events 2014 NSTC establishes the Space Weather Operations Research and Mitigation SWORM Working Group 2015 The SWORM Working Group publishes the “National Space Weather Strategy ” The NSWP Council is deactivated 13 2016 President Obama signs Executive Order E O 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 2019 The SWORM Working Group releases updated national space weather strategy President Trump signs E O 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” Taken together the 2019 Plan and E O 13865 prioritize investment in CI resilience initiatives over scientific research and forecasting and represent a shift in policy from that of the previous 7 P L 111-267 42 U S C §18388 SWORM is referred to as a working group or task force depending on the document See Michael F Bonadonna 2016 and National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy Washington DC October 2015 The SWORM Working Group is comprised of representatives from Federal Aviation Administration Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Communications Commission Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Railroad Administration NASA NOAA NSF Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Director of National Intelligence U S Air Force U S Geological Survey U S Navy U S Postal Service National Security Council OMB OSTP and White House Military Office SWORM “About SWORM ” at https www sworm gov about htm 9 National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy Washington DC October 2015 10 E O 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 7157371577 October 18 2016 11 National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan Washington DC March 2019 12 E O 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12041-12046 March 29 2019 13 Michael F Bonadonna 2016 8 Congressional Research Service 3 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Administration set forth in the 2015 Plan and E O 13744 14 The 2019 Plan focuses on three objectives related to protection of assets space weather forecasting and planning for space weather events and identifies the agencies and departments with responsibilities under each objective Figure 2 E O 13865 directs relevant federal agencies to identify regulatory and costrecovery mechanisms that the government may use to compel private-sector investments in resilience 15 This approach differs from most other federal infrastructure resilience initiatives which generally rely upon voluntary industry adoption of resilience measures 16 E O 13865 applies both to space weather and manmade electromagnetic hazards such as a nuclear attack and refers to both types of hazard as electromagnetic pulse EMP This may create ambiguity in cases where a given provision could apply either to manmade or natural electromagnetic hazards For example E O 13865 directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to “incorporate events that include EMPs as a factor in preparedness scenarios and exercises ” without specifying whether a space weather event or nuclear attack scenario should be exercised or which should be prioritized 17 The fact that E O 13865 does not formally supersede E O 13744 which refers solely to space weather may create further ambiguity in cases where policies of the previous and current Administrations are not in direct alignment or else reflect differing priorities Federal agencies typically regard—and refer to—manmade EMP and naturallyoccurring GMDs as related but distinct phenomena 14 E O 13865 uses the USA PATRIOT Act P L 107-56 definition of critical infrastructure systems and assets whether physical or virtual so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security national economic security national public health or safety or any combination of those matters 15 E O 13865 Section 6c iii 16 See CRS Report R45809 Critical Infrastructure Emerging Trends and Policy Considerations for Congress by Brian E Humphreys 17 E O 13865 Section 5f iv Congressional Research Service 4 Figure 2 2019 National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan Objectives by Agency Source CRS from National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan Washington DC March 2019 Notes DHS Department of Homeland Security DOC Department of Commerce DOD Department of Defense DOE Department of Energy DOI Department of the Interior DOS Department of State DOT Department of Transportation EPA Environmental Protection Agency FCC Federal Communications Commission HHS Department of Health and Human Services NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission NSF National Science Foundation and Treas Department of the Treasury Not all federal departments and agencies listed in the figure are discussed in this report CRS-5 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Select Department and Agency Roles and Responsibilities This section provides an overview of federal roles and responsibilities for space weather-related research and emergency preparedness Federal agency roles and responsibilities fall into four major categories early warning and forecasting research and development R D basic scientific research risk assessment and mitigation including modeling and information sharing and response and recovery Some agencies have roles and responsibilities in more than one category This section only includes entities that relevant executive orders or strategies have designated as the federal lead for a specific objective or requirement This does not include agencies whose role is confined to participation in working groups harmonizing internal policies with national strategy or directives contributing refinements to analytical products or models produced by other agencies or ensuring their own continuity-of-operations in case of a space weather event Each sub-section includes a summary of the department or agency mission and the relevant authorities under which it operates If applicable the agency-specific provisions of the two executive orders currently in force—E O 13744 and E O 13865—are listed in a table followed by information about implementing programs and activities Provisions applicable only to manmade EMP threats such as high-altitude nuclear detonations are excluded The 2019 Plan is referenced in cases where the executive orders do not provide specific or complete guidance to given federal entities Departments and agencies are ordered alphabetically for ease of reference Department of Commerce18 In 1988 Congress authorized the Secretary of Commerce to “prepare and issue predictions of electromagnetic wave propagation conditions and warnings of disturbances in such conditions ”19 The Secretary of Commerce delegated those responsibilities to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA The Secretary of Commerce also directed NOAA to fulfill the department’s space weather responsibilities in 2016 under E O 13744 and in 2019 under E O 13865 Table 1 18 19 Eva Lipiec CRS Analyst in Natural Resources Policy was the lead author of this section P L 100-418 Title V 15 U S C §1532 Congressional Research Service 6 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Table 1 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Commerce Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 “ i provide timely and accurate operational space weather forecasts watches warnings alerts and realtime space weather monitoring for the government civilian and commercial sectors exclusive of the responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense and ii ensure the continuous improvement of operational space weather services utilizing partnerships as appropriate with the research community including academia and the private sector and relevant agencies to develop validate test and transition space weather observation platforms and models from research to operations and from operations to research ” E O 13865 “ i provide timely and accurate operational observations analyses forecasts and other products for natural EMPs and ii use the capabilities of the Department of Commerce the private sector academia and nongovernmental organizations to continuously improve operational forecasting services and develop standards for commercial EMP technology ” Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71573 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12043 March 29 2019 Both executive orders direct the Secretary to improve services and partner with relevant stakeholders The 2016 order refers to the hazard of concern as space weather while the 2019 order refers to it as natural EMPs NOAA’s space weather work falls primarily under two line offices National Weather Service NWS and National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service NESDIS 20 NWS operates and maintains observing systems to support forecasting of space weather including the National Solar Observatory Global Oscillation Network Group a series of ground-based observatories 21 NWS also operates the Space Weather Prediction Center which provides realtime monitoring and forecasting of solar events and disturbances and develops models to improve understanding and predict future events 22 NESDIS maintains NOAA’s space weather data through the National Centers for Environmental Information 23 It also develops and manages several satellite programs which collect solar and space weather-related observations including the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites GOES and the Space Weather Followon program 24 Department of Defense DOD 25 E O 13744 directed DOD to provide space weather forecasts and related products to support military operations of the United States and its partners Table 2 NOAA “Budget Estimates Fiscal Year 2020 ” at https www corporateservices noaa gov nbo fy20_bluebook NOAA-FY20-Congressional-Justification pdf 21 National Solar Observatory “Global Oscillation Network Group ” at https gong nso edu 22 NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center “Space Weather Conditions ” at https www swpc noaa gov 23 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information “Space Weather ” at https www ngdc noaa gov stp spaceweather html 24 NOAA “Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites – R Series ” at https www goes-r gov and NOAA Office of Projects Planning and Analysis “Space Weather Follow-On ” at https www nesdis noaa gov OPPA swfo php 25 Stephen McCall CRS Analyst in Military Space Missile Defense and Defense Innovation was the lead author of this section 20 Congressional Research Service 7 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Table 2 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Defense Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 E O 13865 “ a The Secretary of Defense shall ensure the timely provision of operational space weather observations analyses forecasts and other products to support the mission of the Department of Defense and coalition partners including the provision of alerts and warnings for space weather phenomena that may affect weapons systems military operations or the defense of the United States ” “ i in cooperation with the heads of relevant agencies and with United States allies international partners and private-sector entities as appropriate improve and develop the ability to rapidly characterize attribute and provide warning of EMPs including effects on space systems of interest to the United States ii provide timely operational observations analyses forecasts and other products for naturally occurring EMPs to support the mission of the Department of Defense along with United States allies and international partners including the provision of alerts and warnings for natural EMPs that may affect weapons systems military operations or the defense of the United States iii conduct R D and testing to understand the effects of EMPs on Department of Defense systems and infrastructure improve capabilities to model and simulate the environments and effects of EMPs and develop technologies to protect Department of Defense systems and infrastructure from the effects of EMPs to ensure the successful execution of Department of Defense missions iv review and update existing EMP-related standards for Department of Defense systems and infrastructure as appropriate v share technical expertise and data regarding EMPs and their potential effects with other agencies and with the private sector as appropriate ” Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71573 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12042-12043 March 29 2019 The FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act NDAA P L 115-91 codified the language in E O 13744 According to the FY2018 NDAA It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of Defense should ensure the timely provision of operational space weather observations analyses forecasts and other products to support the mission of the DOD including the provision of alerts and warnings for space weather phenomena that may affect weapons systems military operations or the defense of the United States E O 13865 reiterates the E O 13744 requirement verbatim except that it substitutes the phrase “naturally occurring EMPs” for “space weather phenomena ” E O 13865 also directs DOD to take further steps related to EMP characterization warning systems effects and protection of DOD systems and infrastructure and the United States from EMPs Congressional Research Service 8 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Air Force The U S Air Force is the lead for all DOD and Intelligence Community IC space weather information 26 Air Force weather personnel provide space environmental information products and services required to support DOD operations as required 27 Air Force space weather operations and capabilities support all elements of the DOD and its decisionmakers The Congressional Budget Office CBO estimates that the Department of Defense primarily the Air Force allocated $24 million to space weather activities in FY2019 28 The 557th Weather Wing located at Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska conducts most of DOD’s space weather-related activities It uses ground-based and space-based observing systems including the Solar Electro-optical Observing Network SEON a network of ground-based observing sites providing 24-hour coverage of solar phenomena ground-based ionosondes and other sensors providing data in the ionosphere and space-based observations from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 29 Army The Army has two full-time meteorologists to coordinate space weather support within the Army and with other DOD and federal agencies Navy The Naval Research Laboratory’s NRL’s Remote Sensing and Space Science Divisions and the Naval Center for Space Technology also contribute to the DOD’s space weather activities 30 For example the Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe Plus WISPR launched in August 2018 was designed and developed for NASA by NRL’s Space Design Division WISPR determines the fine-scale electron density and velocity structure of the solar corona and the source of shocks that produce solar energetic particles 31 Department of Energy DOE 32 DOE is responsible for monitoring and assessing the potential disruptions to energy infrastructure from space weather and for coordinating electricity restoration under authorities granted to it by the White House and Congress 33 26 Department of Defense Joint Publication 3-14 Space Operations April 10 2018 at https www jcs mil Portals 36 Documents Doctrine pubs jp3_14 pdf 27 Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research The Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research—Fiscal Year 2017 FCM-P1-2016 at http www ofcm gov publications fedplan FCM-p1-2017 pdf 28 Email communication between CRS and Robert Reese Congressional Budget Office on October 1 2019 29 Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research The Federal Plan for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research—Fiscal Year 2017 pp 2-174 to 2-175 30 U S Navy “NRL Sensor Provides Critical Space Weather Observations ” at http www navy mil submit display asp story_id 49408 and U S Navy “NRP Brings New Hyperspectral Atmospheric and Ocean Science to ISS ” at http www navy mil submit display asp story_id 48197 31 U S Naval Research Laboratory “Headlines and Areas of Research ” at https www nrl navy mil ssd overview areas-of-research 32 Heather L Greenley CRS Analyst in Energy Policy was the lead author of this section 33 The White House “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience ” Presidential Policy Directive 21 February 12 Congressional Research Service 9 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Table 3 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Energy Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 E O 13865 i “shall facilitate the protection and restoration of the reliability of the electrical power grid during a presidentially declared grid security emergency associated with a geomagnetic disturbance pursuant to 16 U S C 824o-1 ” i “shall conduct early-stage R D develop pilot programs and partner with other agencies and the private sector as appropriate to characterize sources of EMPs and their couplings to the electric power grid and its subcomponents understand associated potential failure modes for the energy sector and coordinate preparedness and mitigation measures with energy sector partners ” Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71573 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12043 March 29 2019 E O 13744 directs DOE to protect and restore the electric power grid in the event of a presidentially declared grid emergency associated with a geomagnetic disturbance E O 13865 assigns additional roles and responsibilities to DOE specific to R D and coordination with the private sector to better understand electromagnetic threats and hazards and their possible effects on the electric power grid Table 3 Relevant programs and activities for energy infrastructure protection and threat mitigation are led by the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity Energy Security and Emergency Response CESER under the Office of Electricity and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC the North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC and DOE’s national laboratories Office of Cyber Security Energy Security and Emergency Response CESER In February 2018 DOE announced the creation of CESER a new office created from the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability OE CESER has two main divisions Infrastructure Security and Energy Response ISER and Cybersecurity for Energy Delivery Systems ISER’s mission is “to secure U S energy infrastructure against all hazards reduce the impact of disruptive events and respond to and facilitate recovery from energy disruptions in collaboration with the private sector and state and local governments ”34 The DOE has produced a number of reports on GMDs and EMPs In compliance with the National Space Weather Action plan ISER produced a 2019 report on geomagnetic disturbances and the impact on the electricity grid 35 This report was designed to provide a better understanding of GMD events in order to protect the U S electricity grid Prior to the reorganization DOE’s OE collaborated with the Electric Power Research Institute EPRI a nonprofit organization that conducts research and develops projects focused on electricity In 2016 the OE and EPRI together developed the Joint Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Strategy and subsequently the DOE Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Action Plan in January 2017 E O 13865 refers to EMPs in two categories human-made high-altitude HEMP and natural EMPs—often referred to as GMDs by government agencies These DOE-EPRI 2013 P L 114-94 codified the designation of DOE as the sector-specific agency for the energy sector 6 U S C §121 note 34 U S Department of Energy “Office of Cybersecurity Energy Security and Emergency Response ” at https www energy gov ceser ceser-mission 35 U S Department of Energy Geomagnetic Disturbance Monitoring Approach and Implementation Strategies January 2019 Congressional Research Service 10 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities documents focus specifically on human-made nuclear threats and categorize GMDs separately from EMPs 36 However the 2017 plan notes that “many of the actions proposed herein are also relevant to geomagnetic disturbances GMD which are similar in system interaction and effects to the E3 portion of the nuclear EMP waveform ”37 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC FERC is an independent government agency officially organized as part of DOE 38 The Energy Policy Act of 2005 EPAct05 P L 109-58 authorized FERC to oversee the reliability of the bulkpower system 39 FERC’s jurisdiction is limited to the wholesale power market and the transmission of electricity in interstate commerce EPAct05 authorized the creation of an electric reliability organization ERO to establish and enforce reliability standards subject to FERC oversight 40 The ERO authors the standards for critical infrastructure protection These standards which FERC can approve or remand back are mandatory and enforceable with fines potentially over $1 million day for noncompliance 41 In November 2018 FERC issued a final rule on reliability and transmission system performance standards for GMDs directing NERC to develop “corrective action plans” to mitigate GMD vulnerabilities and to authorize time extensions to implement “corrective action plans” on a caseby-case basis 42 Additionally the final rule accepts the ERO’s submitted research plan on GMDs North American Electric Reliability Corporation NERC In 2006 FERC certified NERC as the ERO for the United States NERC works closely with the public and private electric utilities to develop and enforce FERC-approved standards 43 Part of NERC’s role includes reducing risks and vulnerabilities to the bulk-power system In April 2019 NERC created a task force in response to E O 13865 to examine potential vulnerabilities associated with EMPs and to develop possible areas for improvement focusing on nuclear EMP threats 44 36 U S Department of Energy U S Department of Energy Electromagnetic Pulse Resilience Action Plan January 2017 Hereinafter U S Department of Energy 2017 37 U S Department of Energy 2017 p 3 38 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission “History of FERC ” at https www ferc gov students ferc history asp csrt 4360715013901212967 39 Defined by NERC as “ A facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electric energy transmission network or any portion thereof and B electric energy from generation facilities needed to maintain transmission system reliability The term does not include facilities used in the local distribution of electric energy ” NERC Glossary of Terms Used in NERC Reliability Standards May 13 2019 at https www nerc com files glossary_of_terms pdf 40 North American Electric Reliability Corporation “History of NERC ” at https www nerc com news Documents HistoryofNERC01JUL19 pdf 41 For more information on FERC see CRS Report R45312 Electric Grid Cybersecurity by Richard J Campbell 42 Geomagnetic Disturbance Reliability Standard Reliability Standard for Transmission System Planned Performance for Geomagnetic Disturbance Events Order no 851 165 FERC ¶ 61 124 2018 43 NERC is required to submit an assessment of its performance to FERC three years from the date of certification as the ERO and every five years thereafter North American Electric Reliability Corporation “ERO Performance Assessment ” at https www nerc com gov Pages Three-Year-Performance aspx 44 NERC “Electromagnetic Pulses Task Force Background ” at https www nerc com pa Stand Pages EMPTaskForce aspx Congressional Research Service 11 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities National Laboratories DOE oversees 17 national laboratories that advance science and technology research and development to support DOE’s mission The Los Alamos National Laboratory is currently working on a study of EMP and GMD physical characteristics and effects on critical infrastructure to be carried out in four phases 45 Department of Homeland Security DHS 46 Under Presidential Policy Directive 21 PPD-21 DHS is the lead U S agency for critical infrastructure protection and disaster preparedness 47 E O 13744 and E O 13865 assign several roles and responsibilities to DHS specific to space weather and EMPs Table 4 Table 4 Responsibilities of the Secretary of Homeland Security Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 E O 13865 “ i ensure the timely redistribution of space weather alerts and warnings that support national preparedness continuity of government and continuity of operations and ii coordinate response and recovery from the effects of space weather events on critical infrastructure and the broader community” “ i provide timely distribution of information on EMPs and credible associated threats to Federal State and local governments critical infrastructure owners and operators and other stakeholders ii in coordination with the heads of any relevant SSAs Sector-Specific Agencies use the results of risk assessments to better understand and enhance resilience to the effects of EMPs across all critical infrastructure sectors including coordinating the identification of national critical functions and the prioritization of associated critical infrastructure at greatest risk to the effects of EMPs iii coordinate response to and recovery from the effects of EMPs on critical infrastructure in coordination with the heads of appropriate SSAs iv incorporate events that include EMPs as a factor in preparedness scenarios and exercises v in coordination with the heads of relevant SSAs conduct R D to better understand and more effectively model the effects of EMPs on national critical functions and associated critical infrastructure— excluding Department of Defense systems and infrastructure—and develop technologies and guidelines to enhance these functions and better protect this infrastructure and vi maintain survivable means to provide necessary emergency information to the public during and after EMPs” 45 See Michael Rivera Scott Backhaus and Jesse Woodroffe et al EMP GMD Phase 0 Report A Review of EMP Hazard Environments Los Alamos National Laboratory LA-UR-16-28380 Los Alamos NM October 24 2016 at https permalink lanl gov object tr what info lanl-repo lareport LA-UR-16-28380 An update on research tasks indicates that LANL GMD research was still active as of September 10 2018 See “Update on LANL GMD Research Tasks ” at https www osti gov biblio 1469512-update-lanl-gmd-research-tasks 46 Brian Humphreys CRS Analyst in Science and Technology Policy was the lead author of this section 47 See PPD-21 “Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience ” Congressional Research Service 12 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71574 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12043 March 29 2019 Both executive orders assign responsibility to DHS for early warning response and recovery functions related to space weather preparedness However E O 13865 also requires DHS to incorporate EMP scenarios into preparedness exercises to conduct extensive R D initiatives to better model EMP hazards and develop mitigation technologies and to enhance critical infrastructure resilience against EMP hazards in coordination with other relevant federal agencies Relevant programs and activities are managed by the Department’s Science and Technology Directorate as well as two DHS operational components the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency DHS utilizes an all-hazards risk management approach Therefore programs are generally not hazard-specific but rather may be used to support space weather resilience activities as needed Science and Technology Directorate S T S T conducts R D projects in partnership with federal agencies and the national laboratories providing tools and analyses to help utilities better predict localized effects of space weather and enhance grid resilience 48 For example the Geomagnetic Field Calculator Tool developed for this purpose by S T in partnership with NASA is in the online testing phase 49 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA CISA administers public-private partnership programs that provide training technical assistance and on-site risk assessments to relevant private-sector and federal partners CISA the Department of Energy and interagency partners are producing technical guidance for electric utilities and other industry stakeholders on mitigation of electromagnetic hazards which may include space weather CISA provides long-term risk guidance and recommendations on EMP and other hazards to industry stakeholders through the National Risk Management Center 50 CISA provides realtime space weather advisories to private sector owner-operators of vulnerable infrastructure on an as-needed basis Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA 51 FEMA develops operations plans and annexes that coordinate use of national resources to address consequences of space weather events Recent operational documents include the Federal Operating Concept for Impending Space Weather Events Space Weather Concept of Operations CONOP and the Power Outage Incident Annex and Nuclear Radiological Incident Annex to the Response and Recovery Federal Interagency Operational Plans FEMA also periodically incorporates space weather scenarios into all-hazard education training and exercise programs 48 DHS Science and Technology Directorate Solar Storm Mitigation fact sheet Washington DC 2015 at https www dhs gov sites default files publications Solar%20Storm%20Mitigation-508_0 pdf 49 NASA “Geomagnetic Field Time Series Source ” at https kauai ccmc gsfc nasa gov efieldtool #about 50 CISA “National Risk Management ” at https www cisa gov national-risk-management 51 Research for this section was contributed by CRS Analyst Elizabeth M Webster Analyst in Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery Congressional Research Service 13 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities In 2017 FEMA conducted operational and tabletop exercises with federal and state partners In 2018 FEMA conducted a space weather exercise for senior federal officials 52 Department of the Interior DOI 53 The U S Geological Survey USGS is DOI’s lead scientific agency and “provides research and integrated assessments of natural resources supports the stewardship of public lands and waters and delivers natural hazard science to protect public safety health and American economic prosperity ”54 The Secretary of the Interior has delegated responsibilities from E O 13744 and E O 13865 to USGS Table 5 Table 5 Responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 E O 13865 “The Secretary of the Interior shall support the research development deployment and operation of capabilities that enhance the understanding of variations of the Earth’s magnetic field associated with solarterrestrial interactions ” “The Secretary of the Interior shall support the research development deployment and operation of capabilities that enhance understanding of variations of Earth’s magnetic field associated with EMPs ” Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71573 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12043 March 29 2019 E O 13865 requires USGS to enhance understanding of the variations of the Earth’s magnetic field associated with all EMPs manmade and space weather-related whereas E O 13744 specifies only those resulting from solar-terrestrial interactions USGS conducts space weather-related activities through the Geomagnetism program under the Natural Hazards Mission Area The Geomagnetism program collects data about the Earth’s dynamic magnetic field at 11 observatories USGS provides these data and resulting products to federal agencies oil drilling services companies geophysical surveying companies the electricpower industry and several international agencies among others 55 For example NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and the Air Force use USGS observatory data in geomagnetic warnings and forecasts Congress appropriated $1 9 million to the Geomagnetism program in FY2019 Department of State DOS 56 DOS is the lead foreign affairs agency in the executive branch Among DOS’s responsibilities is negotiating and promoting international norms and practices with respect to outer space DOS 52 Based on CRS email communication with Kyle Thomas FEMA Congressional Affairs Specialist Anna E Normand CRS Analyst in Natural Resources Policy was the lead author of this section 54 U S Geological Survey Budget Justifications and Performance Information Fiscal Year 2020 p 1 at https www doi gov sites doi gov files uploads fy2020_usgs_budget_justification pdf 55 The USGS magnetic observatory network is also part of the global INTERMAGNET network For more information see INTERMAGNET “International Real-Time Magnetic Observatory Network ” at http www intermagnet org index-eng php 56 Cory R Gill CRS Analyst in Foreign Affairs was the lead author of this section 53 Congressional Research Service 14 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities maintains that these efforts contribute to its broader objective of promoting American prosperity through advancing bilateral relationships and leveraging international institutions 57 Table 6 Responsibilities of the Secretary of State Under E O 13744 and E O 13865 E O 13744 “ h The Secretary of State in consultation with the heads of relevant agencies shall carry out diplomatic and public diplomacy efforts to strengthen global capacity to respond to space weather events ” E O 13865 “ a The Secretary of State shall i lead the coordination of diplomatic efforts with United States allies and international partners regarding enhancing resilience to the effects of EMPs ” Source Executive Order 13744 “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events ” 81 Federal Register 71573 October 18 2016 and Executive Order 13865 “Coordinating National Resilience to Electromagnetic Pulses ” 84 Federal Register 12042 March 29 2019 E O 13744 requires the Secretary of State to lead implementation of U S diplomatic and public diplomacy efforts to enhance the international community’s capacity to respond to space weather events Similarly E O 13865 directs the Secretary of State to lead U S engagement with allies and partners to enhance resilience to the effects of EMPs which may include space weather see Table 6 58 DOS’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs has traditionally been responsible for advancing U S diplomatic engagement on these matters Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs OES Congress established the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs in Section 9 of the Department of State Appropriations Authorization Act of 1973 P L 93-126 59 OES is responsible for building international partnerships in multilateral fora to strengthen both U S and international resilience to extreme events including those pertaining to space weather 60 For example OES’s Office of Space and Advanced Technology leads U S delegations to the United Nations U N Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space COPUOS In 2017 OES participated in a workshop co-hosted by the United Nations and NASA on the International Space Weather Initiative ISWI The ISWI was first launched in 2009 to advance space weather science through deploying instruments to collect relevant space weather data analyzing and interpreting the data obtained from those instruments and communicating the results of that analysis to the public 61 The United States and 43 other U N member states that participated in this workshop found that strengthening the international framework for space weather services could be accomplished through several means These included further improving 57 U S Department of State and U S Agency for International Development Joint Strategic Plan FY2018–FY2022 February 2018 p 36 at https www state gov wp-content uploads 2018 12 Joint-Strategic-Plan-FY-2018-2022 pdf 58 E O 13865 further requires the Secretary of State to coordinate with the Department of Defense and other agencies to bolster nuclear nonproliferation and deterrence efforts with the intent of reducing the likelihood of an EMP attack against the United States or its allies and partners However this tasking falls outside the scope of this report 59 See 22 U S C §2655a 60 U S Department of State Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Functional Bureau Strategy August 31 2018 p 8 at https www state gov wp-content uploads 2019 01 FBS-OES_UNCLASS508 pdf 61 United Nations General Assembly Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Report of the United Nations United States of America Workshop on the International Space Weather Initiative The Decade After the International Heliophysical Year 2007 September 11 2017 at https cms unov org dcpms2 api finaldocuments Language en Symbol A AC 105 1160 p 2 Congressional Research Service 15 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities ground and space-based space weather observation infrastructure sharing best practices for space weather risk assessment and mitigation increasing coordination on space weather forecasting services and developing space weather mitigation plans for integration into broader contingency planning for disaster management 62 These action items are consistent with DOS’s responsibilities to contribute to the realization of the 2019 Plan’s three key objectives 63 Efforts by COPUOS to make progress in these and other focus areas are ongoing 64 National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA 65 Under 51 U S C §20301 NASA is responsible for scientific research on the “Sun-Earth connection through the development and operation of research satellites and other means ”66 While E O 13865 does not address NASA E O 13744 further directs NASA to i implement and support a national research program to understand the Sun and its interactions with Earth and the solar system to advance space weather modeling and prediction capabilities applicable to space weather forecasting ii develop and operate space-weather-related research missions instrument capabilities and models and iii support the transition of space weather models and technology from research to operations and from operations to research The Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate supports fundamental research on the sun some of which is important for space weather prediction but most of which is less directly applicable 67 Congress appropriated $720 million to the Heliophysics Division in FY2019 CBO estimates that NASA allocated $264 million to space weather activities in FY2019 68 The Heliophysics Division funds intramural and extramural research and operates a fleet of research spacecraft in Earth orbit and beyond to study the sun the solar wind and their interaction with Earth and the rest of the Solar System see Figure 3 When a space weather event or disturbance is observed NASA also provides research data and modeling results to NOAA for operational use by the Space Weather Prediction Center In addition to its research activities NASA has unique operational concerns regarding space weather First while multiple agencies and the private sector operate satellites in Earth orbit above the protection provided by Earth’s atmosphere NASA also has spacecraft in orbits far beyond Earth for planetary exploration and other missions Earth’s magnetic field provides significant protection against space weather for Earth-orbiting satellites but spacecraft outside Earth’s magnetosphere do not benefit from this protection and so have additional requirements for radiation shielding and other countermeasures Second NASA is the only U S agency with human astronauts in space so it has unique human safety concerns Human safety concerns are 62 Ibid pp 4-6 National Science and Technology Council National Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan March 2019 p 4 64 For example see United Nations General Assembly Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space Report of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee on its fifty-sixth session held in Vienna from 11 to 22 February 2019 February 28 2019 at https cms unov org dcpms2 api finaldocuments Language en Symbol A AC 105 1202 65 Dan Morgan CRS Specialist in Science and Technology Policy was the lead author of this section 66 51 U S C §20301 a 3 B 67 For more information see https science nasa gov heliophysics 68 Email communication between CRS and Robert Reese Congressional Budget Office on October 1 2019 63 Congressional Research Service 16 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities particularly significant for planned future missions to the Moon and other destinations that are beyond Earth’s protective magnetosphere Figure 3 NASA Heliophysics Satellites as of July 2019 Source NASA “NASA Heliophysics ” at https science nasa gov heliophysics National Science Foundation NSF 69 Congress established the NSF to “promote the progress of science to advance the national health prosperity and welfare to secure the national defense and for other purposes ”70 E O 13744 further directs NSF to “support fundamental research linked to societal needs for space weather information through investments and partnerships as appropriate ” NSF supports space weather research in two directorates 1 the Geosciences Directorate including through the Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences division AGS and the Office of Polar Programs OPP and 2 the Mathematical and Physical Sciences MPS Directorate through the Astronomical Sciences division AST E O 13865 does not address NSF NSF reports that FY2018 space weather funding totaled approximately $105 million including about $45 million for AST 71 CBO estimates that NSF allocated $22 million to space weather activities in FY2019 72 NSF primarily provides grants to research institutions to conduct scientific 69 Laurie A Harris CRS Analyst in Science and Technology Policy was the lead author of this section National Science Foundation NSF Act of 1950 May 10 1950 ch 171 64 Stat 149 71 Email communication between CRS and NSF on August 13 2019 72 Email communication between CRS and Robert Reese Congressional Budget Office on October 1 2019 According to NSF “the CBO FY2019 Estimate comes from the Federal Weather Enterprise Budget and Coordination Report and corresponds to the National Space Weather Strategy and National Space Weather Action Plan The FY2018 Actual $105 million amount provided to CRS was in response to a data call for ‘NSF support of space weather activities ’ This request was based off of a broader definition to include activities in support of space weather versus those more narrowly defined as related to the National Space Weather Strategy and National Space Weather Action Plan The 70 Congressional Research Service 17 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities studies including universities and private entities that focus on fundamental research questions related to space weather and its impacts The AGS division supports both basic sciences research and observational and cyber-infrastructure facilities—including the National Center for Atmospheric Research’s High Altitude Observatory—to improve understanding of the dynamics of the sun Earth’s atmosphere and near-space environment and how the sun interacts with Earth’s atmosphere OPP support includes the Antarctic and Astrophysics Geospace program and the IceCube Neutrino Observatory jointly funded with the MPS Division of Physics In the ATS division—the federal steward for ground-based astronomy in the United States—observations focus mainly on the sun and activities include management of the National Solar Observatory NSO Integrated Synoptic Program and the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope DKIST According to NSF DKIST will play an important role in enhancing the fundamental understanding of space weather and its drivers In addition NSF supports the development of numerical models of the space weather chain including the sun solar wind and geospace 73 E O 13744 further directs NSF in collaboration with other federal agencies to identify mechanisms for advancing space weather observations models and predictions and for sustaining and transitioning appropriate capabilities from research to operations and operations to research As noted in the agency’s March 2018 announcement regarding space weather operations to research proposals NSF’s primary role in space weather readiness efforts is support for basic research that advances fundamental understanding of space weather and related processes including “the generation of solar storms their propagation through the interplanetary medium and their impact on the near-Earth space environment ”74 Federal Agency Spending on Space Weather Activities A comprehensive account of total federal agency spending on space weather-related activities is not available In a cost estimate for the Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act S 881 in the 116th Congress CBO estimated that the federal agencies in the National Space Weather Program and the Space Weather Operations Research and Mitigation Working Group “allocated a combined total of nearly $350 million to activities related to space weather” in FY2019 75 CBO estimated that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA allocated the majority $264 million of the $350 million total 76 Total federal agency allocations towards space weather activities may differ from year to year For example CBO estimated federal agencies that were a part of the National Space Weather Program “spent a total of $160 million” in FY2016 on activities related to space weather 77 broader definition of support activities include s research on solar surface as well as a larger set of atmospheric and geospace sciences research not included in the Federal Weather report ” Email communication between CRS and NSF on October 18 2019 73 Email communications between CRS and NSF on August 12 2019 and NSF FY2020 Budget Request to Congress March 18 2019 74 National Science Foundation “Dear Colleague Letter Space Weather Operations-to-Research Proposals ” NSF 18052 March 9 2018 at https www nsf gov pubs 2018 nsf18052 nsf18052 jsp 75 Congressional Budget Office CBO Cost Estimate At a Glance S 881 Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act May 31 2019 at https www cbo gov system files 2019-05 s881 pdf 76 Email communication between CRS and Robert Reese Congressional Budget Office on October 10 2019 77 CBO Cost Estimate S 141 Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act February 24 2017 at https www cbo gov sites default files 115th-congress-2017-2018 costestimate s141 pdf Congressional Research Service 18 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Legislation in the 116th Congress The 116th Congress continues to consider and pass legislation related to space weather research forecasting preparedness response and recovery The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 P L 116-92 Congress enacted S 1790 in December 2019 as the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 2020 NDAA The 2020 NDAA amended Sections 320 and 707 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 P L 107-296 to enact a series of homeland security-related provisions that parallel the E O 13865 framework for critical infrastructure resilience and emergency response See Table 7 for a summary of the new requirements Table 7 Summary of Requirements in Section 1740 of the 2020 NDAA Department or Agency Requirement Deadline Agencies supporting National Essential Functions Update operational plans to protect against and mitigate effects of EMP GMD March 20 2020 DHS relevant SSAs Submit R D Action Plan to Congress March 26 2020 DHS DOD DOE DOC Brief Quadrennial Risk Assessment to Congress March 26 2020 DHS Provide information on EMP GMD to federal state local and private sector stakeholders June 19 2020 FEMA CISA DOE FERC Develop EMP GMD response and recovery plans and procedures June 19 2020 DHS S T CISA FEMA DOD DOE Pilot test of engineering approaches to mitigate EMP GMD effects September 22 2020 DOD DHS DOE Pilot test of engineering approaches to harden defense installations and associated infrastructure September 22 2020 FEMA CISA DOE FERC Conduct EMP GMD national exercise December 21 2020 DHS FEMA CISA DOD DOC FCC DOT Report to Congress on effects of EMP GMD on communications infrastructure with recommendations for changes to operational response plans December 21 2020 FEMA Brief Congress on state of emergency notification systems December 21 2020 DHS DOD DOE Report on technological capabilities and gaps December 21 2020 DHS SSAs DOD DOE Review test data on EMP GMD effects on critical infrastructure December 21 2020 Source NDAA 2020 Section 1740 Note Parentheses in the first column denote a coordination requirement for the lead department or agency The 2020 NDAA also repealed Section 1691 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 P L 115-91 which authorized a “Commission to Assess the Threat to the United Congressional Research Service 19 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks and Similar Events ” The Congressional EMP Commission was to conduct an EMP threat assessment and make policy recommendations to Congress 78 Senior commission members have publicly claimed a prominent role in developing E O 13865 which “seeks to implement core recommendations of the Congressional EMP Commission on an accelerated basis ”79 House-passed versions of the 2020 NDAA cited the publication of E O 13865 when repealing Section 1691 80 Other provisions in the 2020 NDAA require the National Guard to clarify relevant “roles and missions structure capabilities and training ” and report to Congress no later than September 30 2020 on its readiness to respond to electromagnetic pulse events affecting multiple states The Space Weather Research and Forecasting Act S 881 and Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow PROSWIFT Act H R 5260 These similar but not identical bills introduced by Senator Gary Peters and Representative Ed Perlmutter respectively set forth provisions designed to improve the ability of the United States to forecast space weather events and mitigate the effects of space weather The bills provide statutory authority for an interagency working group such as SWORM which was established administratively by the NSTC in 2014 Other major provisions of the bills concern federal agency roles and responsibilities the establishment of an advisory group R D data sharing and certain congressional reporting requirements S 881 also includes provisions related to the protection of critical infrastructure The Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation ordered S 881 to be reported without amendment in April 2019 S 881 was reported out of the committee and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar in December 2019 H R 5260 was referred to several House committees for consideration in November 2019 Previous versions of these bills were introduced in the 114th and 115th Congresses Author Information Eva Lipiec Analyst in Natural Resources Policy Brian E Humphreys Analyst in Science and Technology Policy 78 A similarly named commission was first established by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 and reestablished by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 Its final report was released in 2017 79 Peter Pry “Finally a Presidential EMP Order That May Save American Lives ” The Hill April 26 2019 at https thehill com opinion national-security 436224-finally-a-presidential-emp-order-that-may-save-american-lives Dr Pry served as chief of staff of the Congressional EMP Commission 80 H R 2500 Section 1683 Congressional Research Service 20 Space Weather An Overview of Policy and U S Government Roles and Responsibilities Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service CRS CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role CRS Reports as a work of the United States Government are not subject to copyright protection in the United States Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS However as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material Congressional Research Service R46049 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED 21