implementation, procurement, and tracking of data needed to supplement the Program, and recommend improvements, expansions, and acquisitions of available data. The Under Secretary may designate an existing Federal advisory committee, subcommittee, or working group, including, if appropriate, the Science Advisory Board of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to carry out this subsection. (2) Academic expertise The advisory committee under paragraph (1), in consultation with the Program, shall include expertise from one or more institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 )) to assist the advisory committee to identify, evaluate, and recommend potential partnerships, regional or subregional consortia, and collaborative methods that would expand the number of participants and volume of data in the Program. (e) Regular reporting The Under Secretary shall provide regular briefings, not less than twice annually, to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on all Program activities. Such briefings shall include information relating to the following: (1) Efforts to implement the activities described in subsection (b). (2) Any financial or technical assistance provided pursuant to subsection (c). (3) Efforts to address recommendations received from the advisory committee under subsection (d). (4) The potential need and associated benefits of a coastal and ocean mesonet, or other emerging areas of weather data needs. (5) Progress toward eliminating gaps in weather observation data by States and regions of the United States. (6) Any other topic the Under Secretary determines relevant. (f) Authorization of appropriations From amounts made available to the National Weather Service, the Under Secretary, to carry out this section, shall allocate up to the following amounts for each specified fiscal year: (1) $50,000,000