[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 20 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S703-S704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    DROUGHT INFORMATION ACT OF 2013

  Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar Number No. 222, S. 
376.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 376) to reauthorize the National Integrated 
     Drought Information System, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting 
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Drought Information Act of 
     2013''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT 
                   INFORMATION SYSTEM.

       (a) System Amendments.--Section 3 of the National 
     Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 
     313d) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by inserting ``and continue to support'' after 
     ``establish''; and
       (B) 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''; 
     and
       (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, including water 
     supplies and soil moisture, 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 stakeholders and 
     entities engaged in drought planning, preparedness, and 
     management, 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 Federal, State, regional, 
     private, public, and academic forecasting and assessment 
     programs and partnerships; 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.''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 4 of such Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 313d note) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) $14,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 
     2018.''.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 540 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Commerce 
     for Oceans and Atmosphere shall submit to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Science, Space, and

[[Page S704]]

     Technology of the House of Representatives a report on the 
     National Integrated Drought Information System.
       (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) An assessment of the implementation of the National 
     Integrated Drought Information System, including an 
     assessment of how the information, forecasts, and assessments 
     produced by such system are utilized in drought policy 
     planning and response activities.
       (B) Specific plans for continued development of the system, 
     including future milestones.
       (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.
       (D) A list of partners with whom the Under Secretary 
     collaborates to implement the National Integrated Drought 
     Information System.
       (E) A description of the outreach activities conducted by 
     the Under Secretary regarding the National Integrated Drought 
     Information System.
       (3) Consultation.--In developing the report required by 
     paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with 
     relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local 
     government agencies, research institutions, and the private 
     sector.

  Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I further ask unanimous consent that the 
committee-reported substitute amendment be considered, the Pryor 
amendment, which is at the desk, be agreed to, the committee 
substitute, as amended, be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed, and the motions to reconsider be considered made 
and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 2713) was agreed to, as follows:

    (Purpose: To reduce the authorization of appropriations amount)

       On page 9, line 2, strike ``$14,500,000'' and insert 
     ``$12,000,000''.

  The committee-reported substitute amendment, as amended, was agreed 
to.
  The bill (S. 376), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 376

       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 ``Drought Information Act of 
     2013''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT 
                   INFORMATION SYSTEM.

       (a) System Amendments.--Section 3 of the National 
     Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 
     313d) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) by inserting ``and continue to support'' after 
     ``establish''; and
       (B) 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''; 
     and
       (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, including water 
     supplies and soil moisture, 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 stakeholders and 
     entities engaged in drought planning, preparedness, and 
     management, 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 Federal, State, regional, 
     private, public, and academic forecasting and assessment 
     programs and partnerships; 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.''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 4 of such Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 313d note) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 
     2018.''.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 540 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Commerce 
     for Oceans and Atmosphere 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 National Integrated Drought 
     Information System.
       (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) An assessment of the implementation of the National 
     Integrated Drought Information System, including an 
     assessment of how the information, forecasts, and assessments 
     produced by such system are utilized in drought policy 
     planning and response activities.
       (B) Specific plans for continued development of the system, 
     including future milestones.
       (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.
       (D) A list of partners with whom the Under Secretary 
     collaborates to implement the National Integrated Drought 
     Information System.
       (E) A description of the outreach activities conducted by 
     the Under Secretary regarding the National Integrated Drought 
     Information System.
       (3) Consultation.--In developing the report required by 
     paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with 
     relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local 
     government agencies, research institutions, and the private 
     sector.

                          ____________________