U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra appears to be on a legislative roll this month, with four bills he introduced being approved by the House of Representatives recently.

Feenstra, R-Hull, represents Webster County and all of its surrounding counties. It is an agricultural area that was clobbered by two derechos in as many years, so three of his bills deal with weather forecasting. The other deals with biofuels, also key to an area with many ethanol and biodiesel plants.

“When I was elected to Congress, I promised that I would get things done for our families, farmers, small businesses and thriving communities in Iowa,” Feenstra said in a written statement.

Two items Feenstra introduced as standalone bills were included in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, approved by the House on July 15.

Those measures are:

• The Weather Innovation for the Next Generation Act, which calls for improving weather radar.

• The Biofuel Cell Research Act, which directs the Department of Energy to develop a commercially viable fuel cell system that uses biofuels as the main source of power.

Two more Feenstra bills were approved by the House Wednesday.

They are the:

• National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act, which directs the Weather Service to replace its outdated communications network with an off-the-shelf commercial alternative that puts a high priority on reliability and security.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chief Scientist Act, which establishes new minimum qualifications and responsibilities for that officer.

“From equipping the National Weather Service with modern technology to keep people informed and out of harm’s way during severe storms to establishing the highest employment standards for NOAA officials who monitor natural disasters, these pieces of legislation will save lives and protect our communities,” Feenstra said. ” I encourage my Senate colleagues to support these bills and look forward to seeing them become law.”