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 
H. R. 2431—2 

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.