#aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#cgf  ,,an ,,act  ,to reauthorize the   
,national ,integrated ,drought          
,information ,system1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,drought            
,information ,act of #bjac4  #b4        
,reauthorization of ,national           
,integrated ,drought ,information       
,system  7a7 ,system amendments ,section
 #c of the ,national ,integrated        
,drought ,information ,system ,act of   
#bjjf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cac;d7 is         
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 
by inserting and continue to support    
after establish2 and  7,b7 by inserting 
before the period at the end the        
following3 to better inform and provide 
for more timely decisionmaking to reduce
 drought related impacts and costs2 and 
7#b7 by striking subsection 7b7 and     
inserting the following3  7b7 ,system   
functions ,the ,national ,integrated    
,drought ,information ,system shall--   
7#a7 provide an effective drought early 

warning system that-- 7,a7 collects and 
integrates information on the key       
indicators of drought and drought       
impacts1 including water supplies and   
soil moisture1 in order to make usable1 
reliable1 and timely forecasts of       
drought1 including assessments of the   
severity of drought conditions and      
impacts2 and  7,b7 provides such        
information1 forecasts1 and assessments 
on both national and regional levels2   
7#b7 communicate drought forecasts1     
drought conditions1 and drought impacts 
on an ongoing basis to stakeholders and 
entities engaged in drought planning1   
preparedness1 and management1           
including-- 7,a7 decisionmakers at the  
,federal1 regional1 ,state1 tribal1 and 
local levels of government2  7,b7 the   
private sector2 and  7,c7 the public2   
7#c7 provide timely data1 information1  
and products that reflect local1        
regional1 and ,state differences in     
drought conditions2  7#d7 coordinate1   
and integrate as practicable1 ,federal  

research and monitoring in support of a 
drought early warning system2  7#e7     
build upon existing ,federal1 ,state1   
regional1 private1 public1 and academic 
forecasting and assessment programs and 
partnerships2 and  7#f7 continue ongoing
 research and monitoring activities     
related to drought1 including research  
activities relating to length1 severity1
 and impacts of drought and the role of 
extreme weather events and climate      
variability in drought4  4  7b7         
,authorization of appropriations        
,section #d of such ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 
#cac;d note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in       
paragraph 7#e71 by striking and at the  
end2  7#b7 in paragraph 7#f71 by        
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7#g7 #ab1jjj1jjj
 for each of fiscal years #bjad through 
#bjah4  4  7c7 ,report  7#a7 ,in general
 ,not later than #edj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,under ,secretary of ,commerce for      

,oceans and ,atmosphere shall submit to 
the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1  
and ,transportation of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,science1 ,space1 and 
,technology of the ,house of            
,representatives a report on the        
,national ,integrated ,drought          
,information ,system4  7#b7 ,contents   
,the report required by paragraph 7#a7  
shall include the following3 7,a7 ,an   
assessment of the implementation of the 
,national ,integrated ,drought          
,information ,system1 including an      
assessment of how the information1      
forecasts1 and assessments produced by  
such system are utilized in drought     
policy planning and response activities4
  7,b7 ,specific plans for continued    
development of the system1 including    
future milestones4  7,c7 ,an            
identification of research1 monitoring1 
and forecasting needs to enhance the    
predictive capability of drought early  
warnings that include-- 7i7 the length  
and severity of droughts2  7ii7 the     

contribution of weather events to       
reducing the severity or ending drought 
conditions2 and  7iii7                  
regionally-specific drought impacts4    
7,d7 ,a list of partners with whom the  
,under ,secretary collaborates to       
implement the ,national ,integrated     
,drought ,information ,system4  7,e7 ,a 
description of the outreach activities  
conducted by the ,under ,secretary      
regarding the ,national ,integrated     
,drought ,information ,system4  7#c7    
,consultation ,in developing the report 
required by paragraph 7#a71 the ,under  
,secretary shall consult with relevant  
,federal1 regional1 ,state1 tribal1 and 
local government agencies1 research     
institutions1 and the private sector4   
,passed the ,senate ,february #c1       
#bjad4,secretary