[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2431 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.R.2431

                     One Hundred Thirteenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday,
           the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen


                                 An Act


 
   To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System.

    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 Reauthorization Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. NIDIS PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
    Section 3 of the National Integrated Drought Information System Act 
of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at the 
    end the following: ``to better inform and provide for more timely 
    decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs'';
        (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) System Functions.--The National Integrated Drought 
Information System shall--
        ``(1) provide an effective drought early warning system that--
            ``(A) collects and integrates information on the key 
        indicators of drought and drought impacts in order to make 
        usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought, including 
        assessments of the severity of drought conditions and impacts; 
        and
            ``(B) provides such information, forecasts, and assessments 
        on both national and regional levels;
        ``(2) communicate drought forecasts, drought conditions, and 
    drought impacts on an ongoing basis to public and private entities 
    engaged in drought planning and preparedness, including--
            ``(A) decisionmakers at the Federal, regional, State, 
        tribal, and local levels of government;
            ``(B) the private sector; and
            ``(C) the public;
        ``(3) provide timely data, information, and products that 
    reflect local, regional, and State differences in drought 
    conditions;
        ``(4) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, Federal 
    research and monitoring in support of a drought early warning 
    system;
        ``(5) build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs 
    and partnerships, including through the designation of one or more 
    cooperative institutes to assist with National Integrated Drought 
    Information System functions; and
        ``(6) continue ongoing research and monitoring activities 
    related to drought, including research activities relating to 
    length, severity, and impacts of drought and the role of extreme 
    weather events and climate variability in drought.''; and
        (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Report.--
        ``(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
    enactment of the National Integrated Drought Information System 
    Reauthorization Act of 2014, the Under Secretary shall transmit to 
    the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
    Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
    Transportation of the Senate a report that contains--
            ``(A) an analysis of the implementation of the National 
        Integrated Drought Information System program, including how 
        the information, forecasts, and assessments are utilized in 
        drought policy planning and response activities;
            ``(B) specific plans for continued development of such 
        program, including future milestones; and
            ``(C) an identification of research, monitoring, and 
        forecasting needs to enhance the predictive capability of 
        drought early warnings that include--
                ``(i) the length and severity of droughts;
                ``(ii) the contribution of weather events to reducing 
            the severity or ending drought conditions; and
                ``(iii) regionally specific drought impacts.
        ``(2) Consultation.--In developing the report under paragraph 
    (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with relevant Federal, 
    regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research 
    institutions, and the private sector.''.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
    Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 313d note) is amended to read as 
follows:
``SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$13,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.