Nathan Young wrote:

http://santorum.senate.gov/public/in...TOKEN=48522178

Great! That got me the name, and a little work with Yahoo! turned that into this.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:s786:

Which clearly states --

"(c) ISSUANCE OF DATA, FORECASTS, AND WARNINGS-

(1) IN GENERAL- All data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings
received, collected, created, or prepared by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration or the National Weather Service shall, to the maximum
extent practicable, be issued in real time, and without delay for internal use,
in a manner that ensures that all members of the public have the opportunity for
simultaneous and equal access to such data, information, guidance, forecasts,
and warnings.

(2) MODE OF ISSUANCE- Data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings shall
be issued under paragraph (1) through a set of data portals designed for volume
access by commercial providers of products or services and by such other
mechanisms as the Secretary of Commerce considers appropriate for purposes of
that paragraph."

In other words, the NWS is required to provide everything to commercial
companies as rapidly as possible, and we have to buy it from them. Clear as can be.

George Patterson
There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the
mashed potatoes.