,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgjf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bg1     
#bjbc,mrs4 ,fischer 7for herself and    
,mr4 ,bennet7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,national ,agricultural   
,research1 ,extension1 and ,teaching    
,policy ,act of #aigg to require the    
,secretary of ,agriculture to enter into
 cooperative agreements relating to     
drought prevention1 preparedness1       
response1 and mitigation1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,policy research center  
on drought prevention1 preparedness1    
response1 and mitigation ,subtitle ,c of
 the ,national ,agricultural ,research1 
,extension1 and ,teaching ,policy ,act  
of #aigg 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #caea et seq47 is
 amended by inserting after section     
#adai;,d the following3  #adai;,e4      
,policy research center on drought      
prevention1 preparedness1 response1 and 

mitigation  7a7 ,in general ,consistent 
with this section1 the ,secretary shall 
enter into multiyear cooperative        
agreements of up to #e years each with a
 policy research center described in    
subsection 7b7 to conduct research and  
education programs that-- 7#a7 are      
objective1 operationally independent1   
and external to the ,federal            
,government2  7#b7 concern the effect of
 public policies and trade agreements   
on-- 7,a7 the farm and agricultural     
sectors 7including commodities1         
livestock1 dairy1 and specialty crops72 
7,b7 the environment2  7,c7 rural       
families1 households1 and economies2 and
  7,d7 consumers1 food1 and nutrition2  
and  7#c7 focus on matters relating to  
drought prevention1 preparedness1       
response1 and mitigation4  7b7 ,policy  
research center described ,a policy     
research center referred to in          
subsection 7a7 that is eligible to apply
 for funding under that subsection is a 
,state agricultural experiment station1 

college or university1 or other public  
research institution or organization    
that has a history of providing         
objective1 scientific information to    
,federal agencies and the public to     
support and enhance efficient1 accurate 
implementation of ,federal drought      
preparedness and drought response       
programs1 including interagency         
thresholds used to determine eligibility
 for mitigation or emergency assistance4
  7c7 ,preference ,in making awards     
under this section1 the ,secretary shall
 give a preference to policy research   
centers that have information1 analysis1
 and research relating to drought       
mitigation4  7d7 ,activities ,funding   
may be provided under this section for  
disciplinary and interdisciplinary      
research and education concerning policy
 research activities consistent with    
this section1 including activities      
that-- 7#a7 support weekly production of
 and enhancements to the ,united ,states
 ,drought ,monitor2  7#b7 support other 

products and services to help better    
prepare and respond to drought1         
including-- 7,a7 work carried out in    
collaboration with the ,department of   
,agriculture2  7,b7 through the         
expansion of drought resilience and     
monitoring tools that span across       
disciplines from climatology and remote 
sensing to planning and geospatial      
analysis2 and  7,c7 communications      
products and services2 or  7#c7 support 
climate and drought resilience and      
profitability on working agriculture    
lands1 targeting marginal lands and     
,tribal regions in the western ,united  
,states1 including efforts to provide   
tools to address water quantity4  7e7   
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to     
carry out this section #ai1jjj1jjj for  
the period of fiscal years #bjbd through
 #bjbh1 to remain available until       
,september #cj1 #bjbh4  4