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

Summary: Drought Information Act of 2012 - Amends the National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 to specify that: (1) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall continue to support the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program, and (2) the program's purpose shall be to better inform and provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs. Revises NIDIS functions to require the NIDIS to, among other things: (1) provide certain information, forecasts, and assessments described in the Act on both national and regional levels; (2) build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships, such as those with specified programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), extension system and economist offices of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Farm Service Agency; and (3) continue ongoing research activities related to drought and the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in drought.

Requires the Under Secretary to provide a report to Congress concerning the NIDIS Program that includes a list of persons in the private sector with whom the Under Secretary collaborates on NIDIS implementation and a description of NIDIS outreach activities.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act through FY2017.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Drought Information Act of 2012''.

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 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--
                    ``(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 in support of a drought early warning system;
            ``(5) build upon existing forecasting and assessment 
        programs and partnerships, such as partnerships with--
                    ``(A) the Regional Integrated Sciences and 
                Assessments program of the National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration;
                    ``(B) Cooperative Extension System offices of the 
                Department of Agriculture;
                    ``(C) the National Institute of Food and 
                Agriculture;
                    ``(D) the Office of the Chief Economist of the 
                Department of Agriculture;
                    ``(E) the Farm Service Agency; and
                    ``(F) other Federal agencies or departments that 
                monitor and disseminate weather and climate 
                information; and
            ``(6) continue ongoing research 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 2013 through 
        2017.''.
    (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--
                            (i) drought early warnings;
                            (ii) the length and severity of droughts; 
                        and
                            (iii) the contribution of weather events to 
                        reducing the severity or ending drought 
                        conditions.
                    (D) A list of persons in the private sector 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.