GeoLawWatch: Tracking Weather & Climate Legislation

Tracking weather modification, cloud seeding, and geoengineering bills in real time across the US.

Geoengineering Bills by Year

Bill # Details Effective Status
Idaho (2015 Regular Session)
S1100 Amends existing law to provide that under specified conditions a watermaster may acquire, hold and dispose of real and personal property, equipment and facilities for the proper administration of the water district and enhancement of water supplies, to provide that under specified conditions a watermaster may develop, coordinate or provide for certain weather modification projects; and to provide that if specified funds are not sufficient to cover expenses in implementing certain resolutions, such expenses shall come from assessments. 1 Jul 2015 Passed
Idaho's first legislative step toward cloud seeding: rather than creating a statewide program, this 2015 law empowers individual water districts to authorise their watermasters to participate in weather modification projects. Last update
Mon 23 Mar 2015
  Note: Conclusion: Reported Signed by Governor on March 23, 2015; Session Law Chapter 82; Effective July 1, 2015.
Nevada (2015 Regular Session)
SB423 Makes an appropriation for the awarding of grants to support certain cloud seeding operations. (BDR S-483) Died in chamber
This 2015 Nevada bill represents the opposite legislative approach to atmospheric modification—rather than banning geoengineering, it would have appropriated $500,000 to fund cloud-seeding operations aimed at increasing the state's water supply. Last update
Tue 2 Jun 2015
New Mexico (2015 Regular Session)
HB255 Lea & roosevelt county weather modification Died in chamber
Last update
Mon 2 Feb 2015
SB589 Lea & roosevelt weather modification Died in chamber
Last update
Wed 25 Feb 2015
Oklahoma (2015 Regular Session)
HB1420 Waters and water rights; repealing the Oklahoma Weather Modification Act; effective date. Passed
Oklahoma completely repealed its Weather Modification Act in 2015, eliminating state oversight of cloud seeding operations rather than adding restrictions. This represents the opposite trajectory of current 2025 legislative trends, where states are rushing to ban or regulate geoengineering activities. Last update
Tue 21 Apr 2015
  Note: HB 1420 became Chapter 102, effective November 1
Rhode Island (2015 Regular Session)
H5480 Geoengineering Held for further study
Rhode Island House Bill 5480, introduced in 2015, would have required anyone seeking to conduct geoengineering activities including solar radiation management or atmospheric carbon removal to obtain permission from the state environmental director following public hearings, with violations punishable by fines up to five hundred dollars and imprisonment up to ninety days. Last update
Thu 21 May 2015