Here is a post from http://www.pacificnorthwestflying.com/index.php
Here's a link to the story at AVWeb.
This change recalls a proposal in 2005 to change the way weather information from the National Weather Service is distributed.
Senate Bill S.786, "The "National Weather Services Duties Act of 2005," introduced by then Sen. Rick Santorum, was:
A BILL To clarify the duties and responsibilities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service, and for other purposes.
* (b) COMPETITION WITH PRIVATE SECTOR- The Secretary of Commerce shall not provide, or assist other entities in providing, a product or service (other than a product or service described in subsection (a)(1)) that is or could be provided by the private sector unless--
* (1) the Secretary determines that the private sector is unwilling or unable to provide such product or service; or
* (2) the United States Government is obligated to provide such product or service under international aviation agreements to provide meteorological services and exchange meteorological information.
In effect, the bill would have made Accuweather (based in PA) and other private sources of basic weather report and forecasts the main distributors of such information. The bill did leave wiggle room for aviation-related data, but it specifically mentioned only those data required by international agreements.