[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.
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