[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5136 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5136

 To establish a National Integrated Drought Information System within 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve drought 
                monitoring and forecasting capabilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2006

    Mr. Hall (for himself and Mr. Udall of Colorado) introduced the 
     following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish a National Integrated Drought Information System within 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve drought 
                monitoring and forecasting capabilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Integrated Drought 
Information System Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

     In this Act:
            (1) Drought.--The term ``drought'' means a deficiency in 
        precipitation--
                    (A) that leads to a deficiency in surface or 
                subsurface water supplies (including rivers, streams, 
                wetlands, ground water, soil moisture, reservoir 
                supplies, lake levels, and snow pack); and
                    (B) that causes or may cause--
                            (i) substantial economic or social impacts; 
                        or
                            (ii) substantial physical damage or injury 
                        to individuals, property, or the environment.
            (2) Under secretary.--The term ``Under Secretary'' means 
        the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

SEC. 4. NIDIS PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary, through the National Weather 
Service and other appropriate weather and climate programs in the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a 
National Integrated Drought Information System.
    (b) System Functions.--The National Integrated Drought Information 
System shall--
            (1) provide an effective drought early warning system 
        that--
                    (A) is a comprehensive system that collects and 
                integrates information on the key indicators of drought 
                in order to make usable, reliable, and timely 
                assessments of drought, including assessments of the 
                severity of drought and drought forecasts.
                    (B) communicates drought forecasts, drought 
                conditions, and drought impacts on an ongoing basis 
                to--
                            (i) decisionmakers at the Federal, 
                        regional, State, tribal, and local levels of 
                        government;
                            (ii) the private sector; and
                            (iii) the public,
                in order to engender better informed and more timely 
                decisions thereby leading to reduced impacts and costs; 
                and
                    (C) includes timely (where possible real-time) 
                data, information, and products that reflect local, 
                regional, and State differences in drought conditions; 
                and
            (2) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, Federal 
        research in support of a drought early warning system.
    (c) Consultation.--The Under Secretary shall consult with relevant 
Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, 
research institutions, and the private sector in the development of the 
National Integrated Drought Information System.
    (d) Cooperation From Other Federal Agencies.--Each Federal agency 
shall cooperate as appropriate with the Under Secretary in carrying out 
this Act.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

     There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act--
            (1) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2007;
            (2) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2008;
            (3) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
            (4) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
            (5) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
            (6) $18,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
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