Not later than 2 years after March 30, 2009, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall prepare and the President acting through the Council shall approve and transmit to the Congress a report on progress made in implementing this chapter.

The report shall include—

(1) a description of activities carried out under this chapter and the System Plan;

(2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the System, including an evaluation of progress made by the Council to achieve the goals identified under the System Plan;

(3) identification of Federal and non-Federal assets as determined by the Council that have been integrated into the System, including assets essential to the gathering of required observation data variables necessary to meet the respective missions of Council agencies;

(4) a review of procurements, planned or initiated, by each Council agency to enhance, expand, or modernize the observation capabilities and data products provided by the System, including data management and communication subsystems;

(5) an assessment regarding activities to integrate Federal and non-Federal assets, nationally and on the regional level, and discussion of the performance and effectiveness of regional information coordination entities to coordinate regional observation operations;

(6) a description of benefits of the program to users of data products resulting from the System (including the general public, industries, scientists, resource managers, emergency responders, policy makers, and educators);

recommendations concerning—

(A) modifications to the System; and

(B) funding levels for the System in subsequent fiscal years; and

(8) the results of a periodic external independent programmatic audit of the System.

(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12307, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1435.)