[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2200 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2200

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 2018''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 3 of the National Integrated Drought 
Information System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``in order to 
                make usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought, 
                including'' and inserting ``, including precipitation, 
                soil moisture, and evaporative demand, in order to make 
                usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought 
                and'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``watershed,'' 
                after ``regional,'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4)--
                            (i) by inserting ``, through interagency 
                        agreements'' after ``integrate''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``information'' after 
                        ``warning'';
                    (D) by amending paragraph (5) to read as follows:
            ``(5) utilize existing forecasting and assessment programs 
        and partnerships, including forecast communication coordinators 
        and cooperative institutes, and improvements in seasonal 
        precipitation and temperature, subseasonal precipitation and 
        temperature, and low flow water prediction; and''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``the 
                prediction,'' after ``relating to'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (e) as 
        subsections (d) through (f), respectively;
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Partnerships.--The National Integrated Drought Information 
System may--
            ``(1) engage with the private sector to improve drought 
        monitoring, forecast, and communication if the Under Secretary 
        determines the partnership is appropriate, cost-effective, and 
        beneficial to the public and decisionmakers described in 
        subsection (b)(2)(A);
            ``(2) facilitate the development of 1 or more academic 
        cooperative partnerships to assist with National Integrated 
        Drought Information System functions; and
            ``(3) utilize and support, as appropriate, monitoring by 
        citizen scientists, including by developing best practices to 
        facilitate maximum data integration.'';
            (4) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by inserting ``and 
        sustainment'' after ``development''; and
            (5) by striking subsection (f), as redesignated, and 
        inserting the following:
    ``(f) Soil Moisture.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of the National Integrated Drought Information System 
Reauthorization Act of 2018, the Under Secretary, acting through the 
National Integrated Drought Information System, shall develop a 
strategy for a national coordinated soil moisture monitoring 
network.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 4 of the National 
Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 (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--
            ``(1) $13,500,000 for fiscal year 2019;
            ``(2) $13,750,000 for fiscal year 2020;
            ``(3) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
            ``(4) $14,250,000 for fiscal year 2022; and
            ``(5) $14,500,000 for fiscal year 2023.''.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF TITLE II OF THE WEATHER RESEARCH AND 
              FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017.

    (a) Reauthorization of Title II of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017.--Section 1762 of the Food Security 
Act of 1985 (15 U.S.C. 8521) is amended--
            (1) by amending subsection (j) to read as follows:
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the activities under this section--
            ``(1) $26,500,000 for fiscal year 2019;
            ``(2) $27,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
            ``(3) $27,500,000 for fiscal year 2021;
            ``(4) $28,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and
            ``(5) $28,500,000 for fiscal year 2023.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(k) Derivation of Funds.--Amounts made available to carry out 
this section shall be derived from amounts appropriated or otherwise 
made available to the National Weather Service.''.
    (b) United States Weather Research and Forecasting Improvement.--
Section 110 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 
2017 (15 U.S.C. 8519) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 110. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research to carry out this title--
            ``(1) $136,516,000 for fiscal year 2019, of which--
                    ``(A) $85,758,000 is authorized for weather 
                laboratories and cooperative institutes;
                    ``(B) $30,758,000 is authorized for weather and air 
                chemistry research programs; and
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint 
                technology transfer initiative described in section 
                102(b)(4);
            ``(2) $148,154,000 for fiscal year 2020, of which--
                    ``(A) $87,258,000 is authorized for weather 
                laboratories and cooperative institutes;
                    ``(B) $40,896,000 is authorized for weather and air 
                chemistry research programs; and
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint 
                technology transfer initiative described in section 
                102(b)(4);
            ``(3) $150,154,000 for fiscal year 2021, of which--
                    ``(A) $88,758,000 is authorized for weather 
                laboratories and cooperative institutes;
                    ``(B) $41,396,000 is authorized for weather and air 
                chemistry research programs; and
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint 
                technology transfer initiative described in section 
                102(b)(4);
            ``(4) $152,154,000 for fiscal year 2022, of which--
                    ``(A) $90,258,000 is authorized for weather 
                laboratories and cooperative institutes;
                    ``(B) $41,896,000 is authorized for weather and air 
                chemistry research programs; and
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint 
                technology transfer initiative described in section 
                102(b)(4); and
            ``(5) $154,154,000 for fiscal year 2023, of which--
                    ``(A) $91,758,000 is authorized for weather 
                laboratories and cooperative institutes;
                    ``(B) $42,396,000 is authorized for weather and air 
                chemistry research programs; and
                    ``(C) $20,000,000 is authorized for the joint 
                technology transfer initiative described in section 
                102(b)(4).
    ``(b) Limitation.--No additional funds are authorized to carry out 
this title and the amendments made by this title.''.

SEC. 4. EARTH PREDICTION INNOVATION CENTER.

    (a) Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation.--Section 102(b) of 
the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 
8512(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Advancing weather modeling skill, reclaiming and 
        maintaining international leadership in the area of numerical 
        weather prediction, and improving the transition of research 
        into operations by--
                    ``(A) leveraging the weather enterprise to provide 
                expertise on removing barriers to improving numerical 
                weather prediction;
                    ``(B) enabling scientists and engineers to 
                effectively collaborate in areas important for 
                improving operational global numerical weather 
                prediction skill, including model development, data 
                assimilation techniques, systems architecture 
                integration, and computational efficiencies;
                    ``(C) strengthening the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration's ability to undertake 
                research projects in pursuit of substantial 
                advancements in weather forecast skill;
                    ``(D) utilizing and leverage existing resources 
                across the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration enterprise; and
                    ``(E) creating a community global weather research 
                modeling system that--
                            ``(i) is accessible by the public;
                            ``(ii) meets basic end-user requirements 
                        for running on public computers and networks 
                        located outside of secure National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration information and 
                        technology systems; and
                            ``(iii) utilizes, whenever appropriate and 
                        cost-effective, innovative strategies and 
                        methods, including cloud-based computing 
                        capabilities, for hosting and management of 
                        part or all of the system described in this 
                        subsection.''.
    (b) United States Weather Research Program.--Section 108(a) of the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Authorization Act of 
1992 (15 U.S.C. 8520(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (10), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semi-colon;
            (2) in paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) carry out the activities of the Earth Prediction 
        Innovation Center as described in section 102(b)(2) of the 
        Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 
        U.S.C. 8512(b)(2)).''.

SEC. 5. COMPUTING RESOURCES PRIORITIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 108 of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8518) is amended to read 
as follows:

``SEC. 108. COMPUTING RESOURCE EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT AND ANNUAL 
              REPORT.

    ``(a) Computing Resources.--
            ``(1) In general.--In acquiring computing capabilities, 
        including high performance computing technologies and 
        supercomputing technologies, that enable the National Oceanic 
        and Atmospheric Administration to meet its mission 
        requirements, the Under Secretary shall, when appropriate and 
        cost-effective, assess and prioritize options for entering into 
        multi-year lease agreements for computing capabilities over 
        options for purchasing computing hardware outright.
            ``(2) Acquisition.--In carrying out the requirements of 
        paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall structure multi-year 
        lease agreements in such a manner that the expiration of the 
        lease is set for a date on or around--
                    ``(A) the expected degradation point of the 
                computing resources; or
                    ``(B) the point at which significantly increased 
                computing capabilities are expected to be available for 
                lease.
            ``(3) Pilot programs.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In order to more efficiently and 
                effectively meet the mission requirements of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
                Under Secretary may create 1 or more pilot programs for 
                assessing new or innovative information and technology 
                capabilities and services.
                    ``(B) Program requirements.--Any program created 
                under paragraph (3) shall assess only those 
                capabilities and services that--
                            ``(i) meet or exceed the standards and 
                        requirements of the National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration, including for 
                        processing speed, cybersecurity, and overall 
                        reliability; or
                            ``(ii) meet or exceed, or are expected to 
                        meet or exceed, the performance of similar, in-
                        house information and technology capabilities 
                        and services that are owned and operated by the 
                        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
                        prior to the establishment of the pilot 
                        program.
                    ``(C) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
                authorized to be appropriated, out of funds 
                appropriated to the National Environmental Satellite, 
                Data, and Information Service, to carry out this 
                paragraph $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2019, $10,000,000 
                for fiscal year 2020, and $5,000,000 for each of fiscal 
                years 2021 through 2023, to remain available until 
                expended.
    ``(b) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization 
Act of 2018, and triennially thereafter until the date that is 6 years 
after the date on which the first report is submitted, the Under 
Secretary, acting through the Chief Information Officer of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and in coordination with the 
Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the 
Director of the National Weather Service, shall produce and make 
publicly available a report that explains how the Under Secretary 
intends--
            ``(1) to continually support upgrades to pursue the 
        fastest, most powerful, and cost-effective high performance 
        computing technologies in support of its weather prediction 
        mission;
            ``(2) to ensure a balance between the research to 
        operations requirements to develop the next generation of 
        regional and global models as well as highly reliable 
        operational models;
            ``(3) to take advantage of advanced development concepts 
        to, as appropriate, make next generation weather prediction 
        models available in beta-test mode to operational forecasters, 
        the United States weather industry, and partners in academic 
        and Government research;
            ``(4) to use existing computing resources to improve 
        advanced research and operational weather prediction;
            ``(5) to utilize non-Federal contracts to obtain the 
        necessary expertise for advanced weather computing, if 
        appropriate;
            ``(6) to utilize cloud computing; and
            ``(7) to create a long-term strategy to transition the 
        programming language of weather model code to current and 
        broadly-used coding language.''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--Section 1(b) of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25; 131 Stat. 91) is 
amended by striking the item relating to section 108 and inserting the 
following:

``Sec. 108. Computing resource efficiency improvement and annual 
                            report.''.

SEC. 6. SATELLITE ARCHITECTURE PLANNING.

    Section 301 of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act 
of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Next Generation Satellite Architecture.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall analyze, test, 
        and plan the procurement of future data sources and satellite 
        architectures, including respective ground system elements, 
        identified in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration's Satellite Observing System Architecture Study 
        that--
                    ``(A) lower the cost of observations used to meet 
                the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's 
                mission requirements;
                    ``(B) disaggregate current satellite systems, where 
                appropriate;
                    ``(C) include new, value-adding technological 
                advancements; and
                    ``(D) improve weather forecasting and predictions.
            ``(2) Quantitative assessments and partnership authority.--
        In meeting the requirements described in paragraph (1), the 
        Under Secretary--
                    ``(A) may partner with the commercial and academic 
                sectors, non-governmental and not-for-profit 
                organizations, and other Federal agencies; and
                    ``(B) shall, consistent with section 107 of this 
                Act, undertake quantitative assessments for objective 
                analyses, as the Under Secretary considers appropriate, 
                to evaluate relative value and benefits of future data 
                sources and satellite architectures described in 
                paragraph (1).
    ``(d) Additional Forms of Transaction Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), in order to 
        enhance the effectiveness of data and satellite systems used by 
        the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to meet its 
        missions, the Under Secretary may enter into and perform such 
        transaction agreements on such terms as the Under Secretary 
        considers appropriate to carry out basic, applied, and advanced 
        research projects to meet the objectives described in 
        subparagraphs (A) through (D) subsection (c)(1).
            ``(2) Method and scope.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A transaction agreement under 
                paragraph (1) shall be limited to research and 
                development activities.
                    ``(B) Permissible uses.--A transaction agreement 
                under paragraph (1) may be used--
                            ``(i) for the construction, use, operation, 
                        or procurement of new, improved, innovative, or 
                        value-adding satellites, instrumentation, 
                        ground stations, and data;
                            ``(ii) to make determinations on how to 
                        best use existing or planned data, systems, and 
                        assets of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                        Administration; and
                            ``(iii) only when the objectives of the 
                        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
                        cannot be met using a cooperative research and 
                        development agreement, grants procurement 
                        contract, or cooperative agreement.
            ``(3) Termination of effectiveness.--The authority provided 
        in this subsection terminates effective September 30, 2023.
    ``(e) Transparency.--Not later than 60 days after the date that a 
transaction agreement is made under subsection (d), the Under Secretary 
shall make publicly available, in a searchable format, on the website 
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration all uses of the 
authority under subsection (d), including an estimate of committed 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration resources and the 
expected benefits to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
objectives for the transaction agreement, with appropriate redactions 
for proprietary, sensitive, or classified information.
    ``(f) Reports.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after September 
        30 of each fiscal year through September 30, 2023, the Under 
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
        and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
        Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a report 
        on the use of additional transaction authority by the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration during the previous 
        fiscal year.
            ``(2) Contents.--Each report shall include--
                    ``(A) for each transaction agreement in effect 
                during the fiscal year covered by the report--
                            ``(i) an indication of whether the 
                        transaction agreement is a reimbursable, non-
                        reimbursable, or funded agreement;
                            ``(ii) a description of--
                                    ``(I) the subject and terms;
                                    ``(II) the parties;
                                    ``(III) the responsible National 
                                Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
                                line office;
                                    ``(IV) the value;
                                    ``(V) the extent of the cost 
                                sharing among Federal Government and 
                                non-Federal sources;
                                    ``(VI) the duration or schedule; 
                                and
                                    ``(VII) all milestones;
                            ``(iii) an indication of whether the 
                        transaction agreement was renewed during the 
                        previous fiscal year;
                            ``(iv) the technology areas in which 
                        research projects were conducted under that 
                        agreement;
                            ``(v) the extent to which the use of that 
                        agreement--
                                    ``(I) has contributed to a 
                                broadening of the technology and 
                                industrial base available for meeting 
                                National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                                Administration needs; and
                                    ``(II) has fostered within the 
                                technology and industrial base new 
                                relationships and practices that 
                                support the United States; and
                            ``(vi) the total value received by the 
                        Federal Government under that agreement for 
                        that fiscal year; and
                    ``(B) a list of all anticipated reimbursable, non-
                reimbursable, and funded transaction agreements for the 
                upcoming fiscal year.
    ``(g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed as limiting the authority of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to use cooperative research and development 
agreements, grants, procurement contracts, or cooperative 
agreements.''.

SEC. 7. INTEGRATION OF OCEAN AND COASTAL DATA FROM THE INTEGRATED OCEAN 
              OBSERVING SYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Section 301(a)(2) of the Weather Research and 
Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8531(a)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; and'' and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) support increasing use of autonomous, mobile 
                surface, sub-surface, and submarine vehicle ocean and 
                fresh water sensor systems and the infrastructure 
                necessary to share and analyze these data in real-time 
                and feed them into predictive early warning systems.''.
    (b) Commercial Weather Data; Authorization of Appropriations.--
Section 302(c)(3) of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation 
Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 8532(c)(3)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``2017 through 2020'' and inserting ``2019 
        through 2023''; and
            (2) by inserting ``the'' before ``National''.

SEC. 8. IMPROVEMENTS TO COOPERATIVE OBSERVER PROGRAM OF NATIONAL 
              WEATHER SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
Atmosphere, acting through the National Weather Service, shall improve 
the Cooperative Observer Program by--
            (1) providing support to--
                    (A) State-coordinated programs relating to the 
                Program; and
                    (B) States and regions where observations provided 
                through the Program are scarce;
            (2) working with State weather service headquarters to 
        increase participation in the Program and to add stations in 
        States and regions described in paragraph (1)(B);
            (3) where feasible, ensuring that data streams from 
        stations that have been contributing data to the Program for 
        more than 50 years are maintained and continually staffed by 
        volunteers;
            (4) prioritizing the recruitment of new volunteers for the 
        Program;
            (5) ensuring that opportunities exist for automated 
        reporting to lessen the burden on volunteers to collect and 
        report data by hand; and
            (6) ensuring that integrated reporting is available for 
        qualitative observations that cannot be automated, such as 
        drought conditions, snow observations, and hazardous weather 
        events, to ensure that volunteers in the Program can report and 
        upload observations quickly and easily.
    (b) Coordination With States and Regions.--Not less frequently than 
every 180 days, the National Weather Service shall coordinate with 
State and regional offices with respect to the status of Cooperative 
Observer Program stations.
    (c) Coordination With Federal Agencies.--The National Weather 
Service shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, including the 
Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, and the United States 
Geological Survey, to leverage opportunities to grow the Cooperative 
Observer Program network and to more effectively use existing 
infrastructure, weather stations, and staff of the Program.

SEC. 9. HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOM AND HYPOXIA RESEARCH AND CONTROL.

    (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Harmful Algal 
Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2017''.
    (b) References to the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and 
Control Act of 1998.--Except as otherwise expressly provided, wherever 
in this section an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of an 
amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the reference 
shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the 
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 (33 
U.S.C. 4001 et seq.).
    (c) Inter-Agency Task Force.--Section 603(a) (33 U.S.C. 4001(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) by redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph (14); and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:
            ``(13) the Army Corps of Engineers; and''.
    (d) Scientific Assessments of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms.--
Section 603 (33 U.S.C. 4001) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (f);
            (2) by redesignating subsections (g), (h), (i), and (j) as 
        subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i), respectively; and
            (3) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
    ``(g) Scientific Assessments of Marine and Freshwater Harmful Algal 
Blooms.--Not less than once every 5 years the Task Force shall complete 
and submit to Congress a scientific assessment of harmful algal blooms 
in United States coastal waters and freshwater systems. Each assessment 
shall examine both marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms, 
including those in the Great Lakes and upper reaches of estuaries, 
those in freshwater lakes and rivers, and those that originate in 
freshwater lakes or rivers and migrate to coastal waters.''.
    (e) National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program.--
            (1) Program duties.--Section 603A(e) (33 U.S.C. 4002(e)) is 
        amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including to 
                local and regional stakeholders through the 
                establishment and maintenance of a publicly accessible 
                Internet website that provides information as to 
                Program activities completed under this section'' after 
                ``Program'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; 
                        and'' and inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by inserting 
                        ``and'' after the semicolon at the end; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) to accelerate the utilization of effective 
                methods of intervention and mitigation to reduce the 
                frequency, severity, and impacts of harmful algal bloom 
                and hypoxia events;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and work 
                cooperatively with'' and inserting ``, and work 
                cooperatively to provide technical assistance to,''; 
                and
                    (D) in paragraph (7)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and extension'' after 
                        ``existing education''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``intervention,'' after 
                        ``awareness of the causes, impacts,''.
            (2) National oceanic and atmospheric administration 
        activities.--Section 603A(f) (33 U.S.C. 4002(f)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``, which shall 
                include unmanned systems,'' after ``infrastructure'';
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) in paragraph (6)(C), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) use cost effective methods in carrying out this Act; 
        and
            ``(8) develop contingency plans for the long-term 
        monitoring of hypoxia.''.
    (f) Consultation Required.--Section 102 of the Harmful Algal Bloom 
and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004 (33 U.S.C. 4001a) is amended by 
striking ``the amendments made by this title'' and inserting ``the 
Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998''.
    (g) Hypoxia or Harmful Algal Bloom of National Significance.--
            (1) Relief.--
                    (A) In general.--Upon a determination under 
                paragraph (2) that there is an event of national 
                significance, the appropriate Federal official is 
                authorized to make sums available to the affected State 
                or local government for the purposes of assessing and 
                mitigating the detrimental environmental, economic, 
                subsistence use, and public health effects of the event 
                of national significance.
                    (B) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost 
                of any activity carried out under this paragraph for 
                the purposes described in subparagraph (A) may not 
                exceed 50 percent of the cost of that activity.
                    (C) Donations.--Notwithstanding any other provision 
                of law, an appropriate Federal official may accept 
                donations of funds, services, facilities, materials, or 
                equipment that the appropriate Federal official 
                considers necessary for the purposes described in 
                subparagraph (A). Any funds donated to an appropriate 
                Federal official under this paragraph may be expended 
                without further appropriation and without fiscal year 
                limitation.
            (2) Determinations.--
                    (A) In general.--At the discretion of an 
                appropriate Federal official, or at the request of the 
                Governor of an affected State, an appropriate Federal 
                official shall determine whether a hypoxia or harmful 
                algal bloom event is an event of national significance.
                    (B) Considerations.--In making a determination 
                under subparagraph (A), the appropriate Federal 
                official shall consider the toxicity of the harmful 
                algal bloom, the severity of the hypoxia, its potential 
                to spread, the economic impact, the relative size in 
                relation to the past 5 occurrences of harmful algal 
                blooms or hypoxia events that occur on a recurrent or 
                annual basis, and the geographic scope, including the 
                potential to affect several municipalities, to affect 
                more than 1 State, or to cross an international 
                boundary.
            (3) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    (A) Appropriate federal official.--The term 
                ``appropriate Federal official'' means--
                            (i) in the case of a marine or coastal 
                        hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event, the Under 
                        Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
                        Atmosphere; and
                            (ii) in the case of a freshwater hypoxia or 
                        harmful algal bloom event, the Administrator of 
                        the Environmental Protection Agency.
                    (B) Event of national significance.--The term 
                ``event of national significance'' means a hypoxia or 
                harmful algal bloom event that has had or will likely 
                have a significant detrimental environmental, economic, 
                subsistence use, or public health impact on an affected 
                State.
                    (C) Hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event.--The term 
                ``hypoxia or harmful algal bloom event'' means the 
                occurrence of hypoxia or a harmful algal bloom as a 
                result of a natural, anthropogenic, or undetermined 
                cause.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 609(a) (33 U.S.C. 
4009(a)) is amended by inserting ``, and $20,500,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2019 through 2023'' before the period at the end.

            Passed the Senate December 18, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2200

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System, and 
                          for other purposes.