S. 1278, Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act

S. 1278 would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop and implement a project to improve forecasts of coastal marine fog. The project would involve collecting data from commercial sources, meteorological stations, drifting instruments, and satellites at marine locations affected by fog-related low visibility. The bill also would require NOAA to improve the dissemination of marine fog advisories to better inform the public about economic and safety risks.

Using information from NOAA, CBO estimates the following costs for the project:

• Development—$3 million in 2026 to perform an assessment of the current system; consult with experts, tribes, and other interested parties; and assess modeling and weather dissemination systems.
• Implementation—$19 million in 2027 for upfront costs to expand NOAA’s data collection capabilities and procure the necessary technical equipment.
• Ongoing Annual Costs—Beginning in mid-2027, $16 million annually for ongoing costs, including $3 million for system and infrastructure maintenance, $10 million for computing capacity, and $3 million for 11 full-time employees (at an average annual cost of $250,000 each). Those estimated costs account for anticipated inflation each year.

CBO assumes that S. 1278 will be enacted near the end of fiscal year 2025 and that the estimated amounts will be available in each year. Based on historical spending patterns for similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost $67 million over the 2025-2030 period.

The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Aurora Swanson. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.