I've decided to post only because this matter is important to me,
owning a boat and relying heavily on NOAA for my weather information.
I urge everyone to read the bill. it can be located on

http://thomas.loc.gov/
using bill number S.786
Weather Underground also has it available he
http://www.wunderground.com/education/santorum_s786.asp

Also, BoatUS has an article about it:
http://www.boatus.com/gov/sb786.htm


Here are some excerpts:
-Secretary of Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities in
providing, a product or service (other
than [emergency warnings] ) that is or could be provided by the private
sector unless ...

-Data, information, guidance, forecasts, and warnings [available from
NOAA] shall be issued ... through a set of data portals designed for
volume access by commercial providers of products or services

So, basically, Data as well as forecasts (aka analysis) will be
available from NOAA to commercial providers, but not to the public.

Currently, commercial providers are available, and used by many
including me, which take data from NOAA and other sources and provide
their own forecasts (analysis). I do not have a problem with any of
this, but I _do_ have a problem with making the NOAA information
available _only_ to commercial providers, who then may charge for them.

just my 2 cents.