,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbjj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #f1  
#bjag ,mr4 ,thune 7for himself and ,mr4 
,nelson7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to         
reauthorize the ,national ,integrated   
,drought ,information ,system1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,national     
,integrated ,drought ,information       
,system ,reauthorization ,act of #bjah4 
#b4 ,national ,integrated ,drought      
,information ,system program  7a7 ,in   
general ,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
 7b7-- 7,a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,a71 by  
striking in order to make usable1       
reliable1 and timely forecasts of       
drought1 including and inserting        
including1 precipitation1 soil moisture1

 and evaporative demand1 in order to    
make usable1 reliable1 and timely       
forecasts of drought and2  7,b7 in      
paragraph 7#c71 by inserting watershed1 
after regional12  7,c7 in paragraph     
7#d7--  7i7 by inserting 1 through      
interagency agreements after integrate2 
and  7ii7 by inserting information after
 warning2  7,d7 by amending paragraph   
7#e7 to read as follows3  7#e7 utilize  
existing forecasting and assessment     
programs and partnerships1 including    
forecast communication coordinators and 
cooperative institutes1 and improvements
 in seasonal1 subseasonal1 and low flow 
water prediction2 and  2 and  7,e7 in   
paragraph 7#f71 by inserting the        
prediction1 after relating to2  7#b7 by 
redesignating subsections 7c7 through   
7e7 as subsections 7d7 through 7f71     
respectively2  7#c7 by inserting after  
subsection 7b7 the following3  7c7      
,partnerships ,the ,national ,integrated
 ,drought ,information ,system may--    
7#a7 engage with the private sector to  

improve drought forecast and            
communication if the ,under ,secretary  
determines the partnership is           
appropriate1 cost-effective1 and        
beneficial to the public and            
decisionmakers described in subsection  
7b77#b77;,a72 and  7#b7 facilitate the  
development of one or more academic     
cooperative partnerships to assist with 
,national ,integrated ,drought          
,information ,system functions4  2  7#d7
 in subsection 7d71 as redesignated1 by 
inserting and sustainment after         
development2 and  7#e7 by striking      
subsection 7f71 as redesignated1 and    
inserting the following3  7f7 ,soil     
moisture ,not later than #a year after  
the date of enactment of the ,national  
,integrated ,drought ,information       
,system ,reauthorization ,act of #bjah1 
the ,under ,secretary1 acting through   
the ,national ,integrated ,drought      
,information ,system1 shall develop a   
strategy for a national coordinated soil
 moisture monitoring network4  4  7b7   

,authorization of appropriations        
,section #d of the ,national ,integrated
 ,drought ,information ,system ,act of  
#bjjf 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cac;d note7 is    
amended to read as follows3  #d4        
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this ,act-- 7#a7 #ac1ejj1jjj  
for fiscal year #bjah2  7#b7 #ad1ejj1jjj
 for fiscal year #bjai2  7#c7           
#ae1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj2  7#d7
 #af1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba2     
7#e7 #ag1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb2 
and  7#f7 #ah1ejj1jjj for fiscal year   
#bjbc4  4  #c4 ,reauthorization of      
weather and climate information in      
agriculture ,section #agfb7;j7 of the   
,food ,security ,act of #aihe 7#ae      
,u4,s4,c4 #heba7;j77 is amended to read 
as follows3  7j7 ,authorization of      
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out the        
activities under this section-- 7#a7    
#bf1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjah2  7#b7
 #bg1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjai2     

7#c7 #bh1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj2 
7#d7 #bi1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba2 
7#e7 #cj1ejj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb2 
and  7#f7 #ca1ejj1jjj for fiscal year   
#bjbc4  4