In the 109th Congress, S. 517: A bill to establish a Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and for other purposes, was introduced March 3, 2005, by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). The text of the bill, with the resulting act to be cited as the Weather Modification Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of 2005.
The bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The bill stated that the act was to take effect October 1, 2005.
Following the Committee's November 17, 2005, vote to approve the bill, it was sent forward to the full Senate for its consideration. On December 8, 2005, the bill was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders, Calendar No. 319.The purpose of the act is "to develop and implement a comprehensive and coordinated national weather modification policy and a national cooperative Federal and State program of weather modification research and development."
It should be noted that "weather control", as well as "weather tampering", is expressly forbidden dating from at least December 10, 1976, when the "United Nations General Assembly Resolution 31/72, TIAS 9614 Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques" was adopted.
The Convention was: Signed in Geneva May 18, 1977; Entered into force October 5, 1978; Ratification by U.S. President December 13, 1979; U.S. ratification deposited at New York January 17, 1980.
