39–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 113–348 

NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION 

SYSTEM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013 

FEBRUARY 6, 2014.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. SMITH of Texas, from the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2431] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to whom was 

referred the bill (H.R. 2431) to reauthorize the National Integrated 

Drought Information System, having considered the same, report 

favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill 

as amended do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Amendment ................................................................................................. 2 

II. Purpose and Summary ............................................................................... 3 

III. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................ 3 

IV. Hearing Summary ....................................................................................... 4 

V. Committee Consideration ........................................................................... 4 

VI. Committee Votes ......................................................................................... 5 

VII. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill .................................................. 7 

VIII. Committee Views ........................................................................................ 7 

IX. Committee Oversight Findings .................................................................. 7 

X. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives ...................... 8 

XI. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 8 

XII. Advisory on Earmarks ................................................................................ 8 

XIII. Committee Cost Estimate ........................................................................... 8 

XIV. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ............................................. 8 

XV. Federal Mandates Statement ..................................................................... 10 

XVI. Compliance with House Resolution 5 ........................................................ 10 

XVII. Federal Advisory Committee Statement ................................................... 10 

XVIII. Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................... 10 

XIX. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ......................................... 10 

XX. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, As Reported ....................... 11 

XXI. Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup ............................................. 14 


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I. AMENDMENT

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Integrated Drought Information System 

Reauthorization Act of 2013’’. 

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 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 

2013, 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: 


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1http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/DataArchive/Tables.aspx. 

2 Congressional Research Service. Drought in the United States: Causes and Issues for Congress. RL34580. April 22, 2013. 3The National Integrated Drought Information System Implementation Plan: A Pathway for 

National Resilience,’’ June 2007. Accessible at: http://www.drought.gov/pdf/NIDIS-IPFinalJune07.pdf. 

‘‘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.’’. 

II. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The purpose of H.R. 2431, sponsored by Rep. Ralph Hall, is to 

reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System 

Act (NIDIS). H.R. 2431 modifies existing language to distinguish 

between the function of the NIDIS program in general and the 

early warning system. It also requires the Undersecretary to submit a report detailing the implementation of the NIDIS program. 

III. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

Drought has afflicted portions of North America for thousands of 

years, and continues to impact substantial portions of the United 

States. As of January 28, 2014, more than 35 percent of the contiguous U.S. was experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions. For significant periods in 2012 and 2013, more than half of 

the country was in a drought.1 Consequently, the coordination of 

resources to effectively manage drought is critical. In a 2013 report 

by the Congressional Research Service, drought’s impact on North 

America is described: 

Drought often results in agricultural losses, which can 

have local, regional, and national effects. It also can affect 

other industries and services, including power and energy 

resource production, navigation, recreation, municipal 

water supplies, and natural resources such as fisheries, 

aquatic species, and water quality. How to address these 

impacts is an often recurring issue for Congress. Addressing drought on an emergency basis is costly to individuals, 

communities, and businesses. Additionally, millions and 

sometimes billions of dollars in federal assistance can be 

expended in response to drought’s social consequences. 

Thus, another recurrent policy issue is how to prepare and 

mitigate future drought impacts and how to do so efficiently across the many federal agencies with various and 

sometimes overlapping drought responsibilities.2

The NIDIS program is housed within the Office of Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA). The goal of NIDIS is to ‘‘improve the nation’s capacity to proactively manage drought-related risks, by providing those affected with the best available information and tools 

to assess the potential impacts of drought, and to better prepare for 

and mitigate the effects of drought.’’ 3 In support of these goals, 

NOAA conducted workshops with federal, state, and local agencies, 

academic researchers, and other stakeholders to solicit input on 

how to develop a path forward. This culminated in the 2007 NIDIS 

Implementation Plan, which outlined the governance structure, priVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:19 Feb 11, 2014 Jkt 039006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR348.XXX HR348

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4 Roger Pulwarty, Fall 2011 NIDIS Drought Research Special Issue, ‘‘Coping with Drought: 

Research in Support of NIDIS’’ Volume 2, Issue 2. Accessible at: http://drought.gov/ 

imageserver/NIDIS/newsletter/Falll2011lResearchlSpeciallIssue.pdf. 5 Ibid. 

6 NOAA Climate Program Office, National Integrated Drought Information System. Accessible 

at: http://www.cpo.noaa.gov/cpolpa/nidis/pdf/NIDISlFeb17.pdf. 

orities, and operational requirements needed to meet the Program’s 

objectives. 

In support of the overall program goals, the NIDIS Program is 

engaged in the collection, consolidation, and dissemination of 

drought-related data and information on an ongoing basis. The Program develops ‘‘a suite of usable drought decision support tools focused on critical management indicators, thresholds and triggers, 

and engages and enables proactive planning by those affected by 

drought.’’ 4 In this function, NIDIS acts as a data clearinghouse, 

and works to develop and actively support a collaborative framework between researchers and managers. The Program also conducts knowledge assessments to ‘‘determine where major droughtinformation gaps occur and where research improvements are 

needed’’ as well as to ‘‘coordinate capabilities among those conducting research and research activities.’’ 5

The NIDIS Program developed and currently operates the U.S. 

Drought Portal, a website that features a range of services related 

to drought, including historical data on past droughts, current data 

from climate observations, early warnings about emerging and potential droughts, decision support services for managing droughts, 

and a forum for stakeholders to discuss drought-related issues.6

IV. HEARING SUMMARY

The Environment Subcommittee held a roundtable on H.R. 2431 

and NIDIS on October 2, 2013. The purpose of the roundtable was 

to examine the state of drought forecasting, monitoring, and decision-making and the role of the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in drought planning. 

The Subcommittee received testimony from: Mr. J.D. Strong, Executive Director, Oklahoma Water Resources Board; and Dr. Donald Wilhite, Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of 

Nebraska. 

The Committee also held a hearing reviewing the NIDIS program on July 25, 2012, on drought forecasting, monitoring, and decision-making at which witnesses discussed substantially similar 

draft legislation. The Committee heard testimony from: Dr. Roger 

S. Pulwarty, the Director of the National Integrated Drought Information System at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; The Honorable Gregory A. Ballard, the Mayor of Indianapolis; Mr. J.D. Strong, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma 

Water Resources Board; Dr. James Famiglietti, Professor and Director of Earth System Science at the University of California, 

Irvine; and Ms. Patricia Langenfelder, President of the Maryland 

Farm Bureau. 

V. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On June 19, 2013, H.R. 2431, the ‘‘National Integrated Drought 

Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013’’ was introduced 


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by Rep. Ralph Hall and referred to the Committee on Science, 

Space, and Technology. 

On December 5, 2013, the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology met in open markup session and adopted H.R. 2431, as 

amended, by voice vote. Further, the Committee ordered H.R. 2431 

favorably reported to the House, as amended, by voice vote. 

VI. COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes on the motion 

to report legislation and amendments thereto. A motion to order 

H.R. 2431 favorably reported to the House, as amended, was 

agreed to by voice vote. 

During Full Committee consideration of H.R. 2431, the following 

amendments were considered: 


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COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

Full Committee Markup 

December 5,2013 

AMENDMENT ROSTER 

H.R. 2431, the "National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013" 

No. Amendment Summary 

1 Amendment to Includes activities relating to length, severity, and 

H.R. 2431 impacts of drought and the role of extreme weather Agreed to by 

Offered by events and climate variability as part of the ongoing Voice Vote 

Mr.Swalwell NIDIS research activities. 

(CA) 

Ms. Wilson 

(FL) 

(025) 

2 Amendment to Increasing the authorization amounts by $1 million 

H.R.2431 from $13.5 million to $14.5 million Not Agreed to 

Offered by Ms. by Voice Vote 

Bonamici (OR) 

(001) 
7 

VII. SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE BILL

NIDIS Program Amendments: The bill modifies existing language 

to distinguish between the function of the NIDIS program in general and the early warning system specifically. It also adds a new 

subsection (e) which requires the Undersecretary of Commerce to 

provide the Committee with a report 18 months after enactment. 

This report is required to: (1) include an analysis of the implementation of NIDIS, including how the information, forecasts, and assessments are utilized in drought planning policy and response activities; (2) describe specific plans, including future milestones, for 

continued development of such programs; and (3) identify research, 

monitoring, and forecasting needs to enhance the predictive capability of drought early warnings. 

Authorization: H.R. 2431 amends Section 4 of the 2006 NIDIS 

Act to authorize appropriations for each of fiscal years 2014 

through 2018. 

VIII. COMMITTEE VIEWS

H.R. 2431 would help prioritize and protect important investments that improve the development and dissemination of useful 

drought information. As NOAA implements these improvements to 

the National Integrated Drought Information System, the Committee expects NOAA to continue leveraging existing information, 

systems and expertise to provide accurate forecasts and early 

warnings for the United States. The Committee intends the bill’s 

coordination provisions to streamline and enhance NIDIS’ interagency, intergovernmental, and public-private collaboration, including through codifying existing partnerships with cooperative institutes. 

Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 

the legislation requires NOAA, in consultation with federal, regional, state, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector, to produce a report, that includes 

an analysis of the implementation of NIDIS, including specifically 

how forecasts and assessments are utilized in drought planning 

policy and response activities. The report will also help to inform 

specific plans and milestones for continued development. Finally, 

the report will identify research, monitoring, and forecasting needs 

to enhance the predictive capability of drought early warnings, as 

well as the severity and length of present droughts. The report 

shall be made widely available to stakeholders and the public, as 

well as be provided to the House Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation. 

IX. COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee held an oversight hearing and 

made findings that are reflected in the descriptive portions of this 

report. 


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X. STATEMENT ON GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In accordance with clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the performance goals and objectives of 

the Committee are reflected in the descriptive portions of this report, including the goal to prioritize and protect important investments that improve the development and dissemination of useful 

drought information. 

XI. NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

XII. ADVISORY ON EARMARKS

In compliance with clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 

Committee finds that H.R. 2431, the ‘‘National Integrated Drought 

Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013’’, contains no earmarks. 

XIII. COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

XIV. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate provided by 

the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, December 20, 2013. 

Hon. LAMAR SMITH, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional. Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2431, th.e National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013. 

If you wish further detail’s on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jeff LaFave. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF. 

Enclosure. 


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H.R. 2431—National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013 

Summary: H.R. 2431 would amend the National integrated 

Drought information System Act of 2006. The bill, would authorize 

the appropriation of $13.5 million annually over the 2014–2018 period for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric. Administration 

(NOAA) to maintain a system to provide early warnings of 

droughts by collecting and disseminating information and coordinating research on drought conditions. 

Assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would cost $60 million 

over the 2014–2018 period and $8 million after 2018. Enacting 

H.R. 2431 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, 

pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 2431 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 

and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated budgetary impact of H.R. 2431 is shown in the following table. The costs 

of this legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources 

and environment). 

By fiscal year, in millions of dollars— 

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2014– 

2018 

CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION. 

Authorization Level ........................................................... 14 14 14 14 14 68 

Estimated Outlays ............................................................ 9 11 13 14 14 60 

Note: Amounts may not sum to totals because of rounding. 

Basis of estimate: For this estimate, CBO assumes that the legislation will be enacted early in 2014 and that the authorized 

amounts will he appropriated for each fiscal year. Estimated outlays are based on historical spending patterns for this program. Although funds have probably been appropriated through January 

15, 2014, to conduct activities authorized under the bill, CBO cannot identify those amounts because NOAA has not yet allocated its 

2014 appropriations for those activities. 

Pay-As-You-Go Considerations: None. 

Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 2431 contains 

no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

Previous CBO estimate: On September 5, 2013, CBO transmitted 

a cost estimate for S. 376, the Drought Information Act of 2013, as 

ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 

and Transportation on July 30, 2013. The two bills are similar; 

however, the Senate version of the bill would authorize the appropriation of $14.5 million a year over the 2014–2018 period. The 

CBO cost estimates reflect that difference. 

Estimate prepared by: Federal costs: Jeff LaFave; Impact on 

state, local, and tribal governments: Melissa Merrell; Impact on the 

private sector: Amy Petz. 

Estimate approved by: Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director 

for Budget Analysis. 


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XV. FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 

pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

XVI. COMPLIANCE WITH H. RES. 5 

A. Directed Rule Making. This bill does not direct any executive 

branch official to conduct any specific rule-making proceedings. 

B. Duplication of Existing Programs. This bill does not establish 

or reauthorize a program of the federal government known to be 

duplicative of another program. Such program was not included in 

any report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress 

pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or identified in the 

most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance published pursuant to the Federal Program Information Act (Public Law 95–220, 

as amended by Public Law 98–169) as relating to other programs. 

XVII. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

XVIII. APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) f the Congressional Accountability Act. 

XIX. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title 

This section establishes the short title of the bill as ‘‘The National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act 

of 2013’’. 

Section 2. NIDIS Program amendments 

This section adds to the purpose of the NIDIS program ‘‘to better 

inform and provide for more timely decision making to reduce 

drought related impacts and costs.’’ 

Section 2 modifies existing language to distinguish between the 

function of the NIDIS program in general and the early warning 

system specifically. The functions are largely the same as those in 

existing law, reorganized to reflect the distinction. The only additional function is to allow NIDIS to ‘‘continue ongoing research activities related to drought.’’ Section 2 reestablishes NIDIS system 

functions including building upon forecasting and assessment partnerships and the designation of one or more cooperative institutes 

to assist with NIDIS functions. 

Section 2 also adds a new subsection (e) which requires the Undersecretary of Commerce to provide the Committee with a report 

18 months after enactment. This report should (i) include an analysis of the implementation of NIDIS, including how the information, forecasts, and assessments are utilized in drought planning 

policy and response activities; (ii) describe specific plans, including 


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future milestones, for continued development of such programs; 

and (iii) identify research, monitoring, and forecasting needs to enhance the predictive capability of drought early warnings, the 

length and severity of droughts, and the contribution of weather 

events to reducing or ending drought conditions. In developing this 

report, the Undersecretary is also required to consult with relevant 

Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. 

Section 3. Authorization of appropriations 

Section 3 amends Section 4 of the 2006 Act to authorize appropriations for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018. 

XX. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION 

SYSTEM ACT OF 2006 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 3. NIDIS PROGRAM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary, through the National 

Weather Service and other appropriate weather and climate programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

shall establish a National Integrated Drought Information System 

to better inform and provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs. ø(b) SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.—The National Integrated Drought Information System shall— 

ø(1) provide an effective drought early warning system 

that— 

ø(A) is a comprehensive system that collects and integrates information on the key indicators of drought in 

order to make usable, reliable, and timely drought forecasts and assessments of drought, including assessments 

of the severity of drought conditions and impacts; 

ø(B) communicates drought forecasts, drought conditions, and drought impacts on an ongoing basis to— 

ø(i) decisionmakers at the Federal, regional, State, 

tribal, and local levels of government; 

ø(ii) the private sector; and 

ø(iii) the public, 

in order to engender better informed and more timely decisions thereby leading to reduced impacts and costs; and 

ø(C) includes timely (where possible real-time) data, information, and products that reflect local, regional, and 

State differences in drought conditions; 

ø(2) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, Federal research in support of a drought early warning system; and 

ø(3) build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships.¿ 


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(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 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. 

* * * * * * * 

(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 2013, 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 FedVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:19 Feb 11, 2014 Jkt 039006 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR348.XXX HR348

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eral, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. 

øSEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

øThere are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act— 

ø(1) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 

ø(2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 

ø(3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 

ø(4) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 

ø(5) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 

ø(6) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.¿ 

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. 


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XXI. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP ON H.R. 2431, THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 

2013 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2013 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, 

WASHINGTON, DC. 

The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:08 a.m., in Room 2318 

of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Lamar Smith [Chairman of the Committee] presiding. 

Chairman SMITH. The Committee on Science, Space and Technology will come to order. Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare recesses of the Committee at any time. Pursuant to 

Committee Rule 2F and House Rule 112(h)(4), the Chair announces 

that he may postpone roll call votes. Now, I will recognize myself 

in opening statement. 

The Science, Space and Technology Committee today meets to 

mark up four bills, H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013 offered by Mr. Bridenstine of Oklahoma, H.R. 

2431, the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013, sponsored by Mr. Hall of Texas, H.R. 2981, 

the Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and 

Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013, or TRANSFER Act, sponsored by Mr. Collins of New York, and H.R. 3625, offered by Mr. 

Brooks of Alabama, which provides for termination liability costs 

for certain high priority NASA projects. Each of the bill sponsors 

will explain their bill in more detail shortly. But let me offer my 

views on each very briefly. 

Mr. Bridenstine’s weather forecasting bill protects lives and property through improved weather research to better forecast warnings of tornadoes and hurricanes. Now, I want to compliment Mr. 

Bridenstine for working with Environment Subcommittee Chairman Chris Stewart and Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici in 

drafting a bipartisan amendment which strengthens this bill. 

Our second bill is H.R. 2431, the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013 by Mr. Hall. And I 

thank the gentleman for his persistent leadership over the years on 

this issue. Droughts in Texas and elsewhere had been severe, and 

the NIDIS program has helped state and local governments, farmVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:19 Feb 11, 2014 Jkt 039006 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6604 Sfmt 6604 E:\HR\OC\HR348.XXX HR348

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15 

ers, ranchers and others both monitor and predict drought conditions. A companion bill has already been reported by the Senate 

Commerce Committee. The goal is to reach an agreement with our 

Senate counterparts so we can put this bipartisan bill on the President’s desk early next year. 

Our third bill, the TRANSFER Act, sponsored by Mr. Collins of 

New York, has bipartisan co-sponsors and many endorsements. The 

bill accelerates the transition of technology developed at universities, Federal laboratories and non-profit research institutions to 

the private sector. Mr. Collins has himself started several small 

businesses and currently chairs the Small Business Health and 

Technology Subcommittee. His personal experience has made him 

a champion for small businesses. 

Finally, our fourth bill sponsored by Mr. Brooks of Alabama protects funding for key NASA programs. It also frees up over half a 

billion dollars in funding that Congress already provided the agency toward the development of the space launch system, an Orion 

crew vehicle and space station operations. Unfortunately, NASA’s 

chief financial officer decided to change NASA’s rules on termination liability three years ago from the way NASA managed termination liability for over 50 years. We need to fix this situation 

with this bill. These funds will be freed up to do what Congress intended, develop these high priority NASA programs. With an 

amendment to be sponsored by Ms. Edwards that I support, we 

have bipartisan support for Mr. Brooks’ bill to address NASA termination liability. And I want to thank Mr. Brooks for his initiative 

on this issue, along with Space Subcommittee Chairman Steve 

Palazzo who also sought to address this issue with the NASA reauthorization bill. 

All four bills provide bipartisan commonsense solutions that will 

keep America competitive and on the forefront of innovation. So I 

urge my colleagues to support all the bills. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:] 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN LAMAR SMITH

The Science, Space, and Technology Committee meets today to mark-up four bills: 

• H.R. 2413, the ‘‘Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013,’’ offered by Mr. 

Bridenstine of Oklahoma; 

• H.R. 2431, the ‘‘National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013,’’ sponsored by Mr. Hall of Texas; 

• H.R. 2981, the ‘‘Technology and Research Accelerating National Security and 

Future Economic Resiliency Act of 2013,’’ or TRANSFER Act, sponsored by Mr. 

Collins of New York; and 

• H.R. 3625, offered by Mr. Brooks of Alabama, which provides for termination 

liability costs for certain hi-priority NASA projects. 

Each of the bills’ sponsors will explain their bill in more detail shortly, but let 

me offer my views on each. 

Mr. Bridenstine’s weather forecasting bill protects lives and property through improved weather research to better forecast warnings of tornadoes and hurricanes. 

I want to compliment Mr. Bridenstine for working with Environment Subcommittee Chairman Chris Stewart and Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici in 

drafting a bipartisan amendment that strengthens this bill. 

Our second bill today is H.R. 2431, The National Integrated Drought Information 

System Reauthorization Act of 2013, offered by Mr. Hall of Texas. I thank the gentleman for his persistent leadership over the years on this issue. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
16 

Droughts in Texas have been severe, and the NIDIS [pronounced NEYE-Diss] program has helped state and local governments, farmers, ranchers, and others both 

monitor and predict drought conditions. 

A companion bill has already been reported by the Senate Commerce Committee. 

The goal is to reach an agreement with our Senate counterparts so we can put this 

bipartisan bill on the President’s desk early next year. 

Our third bill, the TRANSFER Act, sponsored by Mr. Collins of New York has 

bipartisan cosponsors and many endorsements. 

This bill accelerates the transition of technology developed at universities, federal 

laboratories and non-profit research institutions to the private sector. Mr. Collins 

has himself started several small businesses and currently chairs the Small Business Health and Technology Subcommittee. His personal experiences make him a 

champion for small businesses. 

Finally, our fourth bill, sponsored by Mr. Brooks of Alabama, protects funding for 

key NASA programs. It also frees up over half a billion dollars in funding that Congress already provided the agency toward the development of the Space Launch System and Orion Crew Vehicle and Space Station operations. 

Unfortunately, NASA’s Chief Financial Officer decided to change NASA’s rules on 

termination liability three years ago from the way NASA managed termination liability for over 50 years. We seek to fix this situation with this bill. 

These funds will be freed up to do what Congress intended-develop these highpriority NASA programs. 

With an amendment to be sponsored by Ms. Edwards that I support, we have bipartisan support for Mr. Brooks’ bill to address NASA termination liability. 

I want to thank Mr. Brooks for his initiative on this issue, along with Space Subcommittee Chairman Steve Palazzo, who also sought to address this issue with the 

NASA authorization bill. 

All four bills provide bipartisan common-sense solutions that will keep America 

competitive and on the forefront of innovation. I urge my colleagues to support all 

four bills. 

Chairman SMITH. I now recognize the Ranking Member, the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Johnson, for her opening statement. 

Ms. JOHNSON. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I do 

apologize for whatever this voice may come out to be this morning. 

Today, we are marking up four relatively bipartisan bills, and it is 

my hope that they will be even more bipartisan after today’s markup. 

First, we have H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement 

Act of 2013. Weather forecasting and weather research are issues 

that should be truly bipartisan. And I am very pleased that with 

the addition of the Manager’s Amendment, we now have a bill that 

we can receive bipartisan support. As amended, this will be a 

strong bill, and it will improve weather forecasting at NOAA. And 

I urge my colleagues to support it. One of the things that we 

learned as we received expert advice on this legislation is that 

weather research can be strengthened but that we cannot do it at 

the expense of ocean or climate research. These are all pieces of the 

same puzzle. The progress in all of these areas is necessary for 

progress in any single area. This bill would improve weather research at NOAA and better integrate that research within the forecasting community. And it accomplishes this without harming the 

other important work that NOAA does. I want to especially commend environmental—Environment Subcommittee Chairman Mr. 

Stewart, Ranking Member Ms. Bonamici, and the bill’s sponsor, 

Mr. Bridenstine, for their cooperative spirit and hard work that got 

us to where we are today. I hope that we can use this process as 

a model for future bipartisan legislative action. 

Next, we have 2431, the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013. This vital program was 

originated by my friend and former Chairman, Mr. Ralph Hall, in 


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17 

2006. The program provides critical draft—drought information to 

communities all across our nation. Over the past three decades, it 

is estimated that droughts have cost our country hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impacts. Loss estimates from the 2012 

drought alone amount upwards of $17 billion. Moreover, the effects 

of climate change are anticipated to exacerbate this problem in 

many parts of our country, including in our home State of Texas. 

In the light of the scope of the economic impacts of drought and 

the potential of the NIDIS programs that lessen these impacts, I 

am concerned that we are cutting the program’s authorization 

level. My colleague from Oregon has an amendment to modestly increase the authorization levels, and I plan on supporting that 

amendment and urge my others to do as well. 

The next bill being considered is H.R. 2981, the TRANSFER Act, 

a bipartisan bill introduced by Mr. Collins and Mr. Kilmer that will 

help accelerate the commercialization of federally funded research. 

Our investment in basic research has led to incredible discoveries 

that improve our lives. But identifying and moving those ideas into 

the marketplace is not an easy task. In today’s economy, private 

capital is even harder to come by, especially for unproven technologies. This is where the TRANSFER Act can make an impact. 

It can move good ideas and technologies further along the path toward commercialization. It can help spur the creation of new 

startups and spinoffs, and help those new businesses succeed by 

providing resources, and maybe even more importantly, advice and 

services. I would like to commend my colleagues for their hard 

work to improve technology transfer. 

Now, just recently, the small business community has raised 

some concerns over how the TRANSFER Act is funded. While I 

strongly support the thrust of this bill, I do want to emphasize that 

these concerns will need to be addressed in order for this bill to 

move forward. I am a little concerned that we are rushing to mark 

this bill up without having first identified a viable path forward on 

this issue. This bill was crafted by a committee, and it also was referred to this Small Business Committee. Kicking this bill over to 

the Small Business Committee without having identified a funding 

fix seems like a recipe for inaction. I hope we can continue to work 

on this issue and ultimately get this bill enacted. But I am concerned that rushing the bill to markup today will not make this 

any easier. 

Finally, we consider H.R. 3625, to provide for termination liability costs for certain National Aeronautic and Space Administration 

projects. This bill makes necessary changes to the way in which 

NASA accounts for termination costs in their flagship programs. 

When Congress funds spacecraft development, we want the funding 

to go to spacecraft development. We don’t want sufficient portions 

of the funding to be aside—set aside for just in case money for potential termination costs. Unfortunately, this requires a legislative 

fix because the Anti-Deficiency Act requires some reserves. And, 

frankly, NASA is unable to float these reserves anymore due to the 

tight budgetary times we are in. I look forward to a productive 

markup today. And I yield back. Thank you. [The prepared statement of Ms. Johnson follows:] 


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18 

PREPARED STATEMENT OF RANKING MEMBER EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

Thank you Mr. Chairman. Today we are marking up four relatively bipartisan 

bills, and it is my hope that they will be even more bipartisan after today’s markup. 

First we have H.R. 2413, the Weather Forecasting Improvement Act of 2013. 

Weather forecasting and weather research are issues that should truly be bipartisan, and I’m very pleased that with the addition of the manager’s amendment, we 

now have a bill that will receive bipartisan support. As amended, this will be a 

strong bill, and it will improve weather forecasting at NOAA, and I urge my colleagues to support it. 

One of the things that we learned as we received expert advice on this legislation 

is that weather research can be strengthened, but that we cannot do it at the expense of ocean or climate research. These are all pieces of the same puzzle, and 

progress in all of these areas is necessary for progress in any single area. 

This bill will improve weather research at NOAA and better integrate that research with the forecasting community, and it accomplishes this without harming 

the other important work that NOAA does. 

I want to especially commend Environment Subcommittee Chairman Stewart, 

Ranking Member Bonamici, and the bill sponsor Mr. Bridenstine for their cooperative spirit and hard work that got us to where we are today. I hope that we can 

use this process as a model for future bipartisan legislative action. 

Next we have H.R. 2431, the National Integrated Drought Information System 

Reauthorization Act of 2013. 

This vital program was originated by my friend and former Committee Chairman 

Ralph Hall in 2006. The program provides critical drought information to communities all across our Nation. 

Over the past three decades it is estimated that droughts have cost our country 

hundreds of billions of dollars in economic impacts. Loss estimates from the 2012 

drought alone run upwards of 70 billion dollars. Moreover, the effects of climate 

change are anticipated to exacerbate this problem in many parts of our country, including in my home state of Texas. 

In light of the scope of the economic impacts of drought, and the potential of the 

NIDIS program to lessen these impacts, I am concerned that we are cutting the program’s authorization level. My colleague from Oregon has an amendment to modestly increase the authorization levels, and I plan on supporting that amendment, 

and urge others to do so as well. 

The next bill being considered is H.R. 2981, the TRANSFER Act, a bipartisan bill 

introduced by Mr. Collins and Mr. Kilmer that would help accelerate the commercialization of federally funded research. 

Our investment in basic research has led to incredible discoveries that improve 

our lives, but identifying and moving those ideas into the marketplace is not an easy 

task. In today’s economy private capital is even harder to come by, especially for 

unproven technologies. 

This is where the TRANSFER Act can make an impact. It can move good ideas 

and technologies further along the path toward commercialization. It can help spur 

the creation of new start-ups and spin-offs and help those new businesses succeed 

by providing resources-and maybe even more importantly- advice and services.I’d 

like to commend my colleagues for their hard work to improve technology transfer. 

Now, just recently the small business community has raised some concerns over 

how the TRANSFER Act is funded. While I strongly support the thrust of this bill, 

I do want to emphasize that these concerns will need to be addressed in order for 

this bill to move forward. I’m a little concerned that we are rushing to mark up this 

bill without having first identified a viable path forward on this issue. 

This bill was crafted by our Committee, but it also was referred to the Small Business Committee. Kicking this bill over to the Small Business Committee without 

having identified a funding fix seems like a recipe for inaction. I hope we can continue to work on this issue and ultimately get this bill enacted, but I’m concerned 

that rushing the bill to markup today will not make this any easier. 

Finally, we will consider H.R. 3625, To provide for termination liability costs for 

certain National Aeronautics and Space Administration projects. This bill makes 

necessary changes to the way in which NASA accounts for termination costs in their 

flagship programs. 

When Congress funds spacecraft development, we want the funding to go to spacecraft development. We don’t want significant portions of the funding to be set aside 

as ‘‘just in case’’ money for potential termination costs. Unfortunately, this requires 

a legislative fix because the Anti-Deficiency Act requires some reserves, and frankly, 

NASA is unable to float these reserves anymore due to the tight budgetary times 

we are in. 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS
19 

I look forward to a productive markup today, and I yield back. 

Chairman SMITH. Okay. Next bill, pursuant to notice, I now call 

up H.R. 2431, introduced by Mr. Hall, the National Integrated 

Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013. And the 

Clerk will report the bill. 

The CLERK. H.R. 2431 to reauthorize the National Integrated 

Drought Information System in the—— 

[H.R. 2431 appears in Appendix I] 

Chairman SMITH. Without objection, the bill will be considered as 

read, and the gentleman from Texas, the Chairman Emeritus is 

recognized to explain the bill. 

Mr. HALL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for holding 

today’s markup of H.R. 2431. As others have designated their bills, 

this is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the National Integrated 

Drought Information System, or NIDIS. 

On October the 2nd, the Committee held a roundtable discussion 

with NIDIS experts in lieu of a subcommittee hearing due to the 

temporary government shutdown. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly provide some background about NIDIS for those 

members who were unable to participate. In 1998, Congress passed 

the National Drought Policy Act, establishing the National Drought 

Policy Commission to provide advice and recommendations on Federal policies relating to droughts. The concept of creating a national 

drought monitoring and information system was proposed by the 

commission in its 2000 report. 

In 2004, the Western Governors’ Association released its report 

envisioning establishment of NIDIS. The Western Governors’ Association continues to be one of the program’s strongest advocates. 

With the Chairman’s permission, I have a letter of support for H.R. 

2431 from Mr. James Ogsbury, the Association’s Executive Director, that I would like to submit for the record. Without objection, 

I am sure. 

Chairman SMITH. I am sorry, Mr. Hall. Without objection, sir. 

[The information appears in Appendix II] 

Mr. HALL. Good. Thank you. I knew almost you were going to say 

that. And I have a letter of support from Todd Sando, President of 

the Association of Western State Engineers, and a resolution of 

support from the Western States Water Counsel. With the Chairman’s permission, I would like to submit these letter for the record. 

Chairman SMITH. Without—— 

Mr. HALL. Did I hear objection? 

Chairman SMITH. Without objection, so ordered. 

[The information appears in Appendix II] 

Mr. HALL. All right, sir. I was pleased to work with the Western 

Governors’ Association, along with former Congressman and now 

with Senator Mark Udall to introduce a NIDIS Act of 2006, which 

Congress passed and became public law. Rather than creating a 

new government bureaucracy, NIDIS represented a collaborative 

framework between Federal states and academic partners. NIDIS 

is administered within the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research at NOAA. 

The NIDIS plan included developing U.S. drought portal 

www.drought.gov. This website has become a valuable resource for 

decision makers at the federal, state and local level. The website 


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provides current data from climate observations, early warnings 

about emerging and potential droughts, and support services for 

managing droughts. 

One of the features of the drought portal is the U.S. drought 

monitor, a map that blends drought measurements with expert’s 

best judgments. This map is updated every week. The monitor is 

produced by a rotating group of authors from the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, NOAA and the National Drought Mitigation Center. 

I have a slide to be displayed on the committee screen of the most 

recent drought monitor map dated November 26. This is a map 

that local officials and stakeholders use for the most up to date information on drought conditions. Supporting data indicate that 56 

percent of the U.S. is currently experiencing abnormally dry to exceptionally dry conditions. Through NIDIS, NOAA also is building 

a network of early warning systems, and is continuing to work with 

local research managers. NIDIS is an example of a program that 

is working effectively, and it has broad support. 

The NIDIS authorization expired last year. And this bipartisan 

bill, H.R. 2431, reauthorizes the program from 2014 through 2018 

in the amount of 13.5 million per year, reflecting current program 

costs and funding levels. This bill encourages further development 

of regional early warning systems and research, monitoring and 

forecasting needs. It builds upon existing partnerships and designates one or more cooperative institutions to assist with NIDIS, 

and it calls for a thorough analysis of NIDIS. 

Mr. Chairman, reauthorizing NIDIS will strengthen this important program and help ensure its continued success. I urge the 

Committee’s support, and I yield back, sir. 

Chairman SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Hall. Is there any further discussion of the bill? And if not, we will go to the two amendments 

we have listed in our roster. 

Does the gentleman from California, Mr. Swalwell, seek recognition? 

Mr. SWALWELL. Yes, Mr. Chairman, I do have an amendment at 

the desk. 

Chairman SMITH. The Clerk will report the amendment. 

The CLERK. Amendment to H.R. 2431, offered by Mr. Swalwell 

of California, and—— 

[The amendment of Mr. Swalwell and Ms. Wilson appears in Appendix I] 

Mr. SWALWELL. And, Mr. Chair, I ask for unanimous consent 

that the reading of the amendment be dispersed with. 

Chairman SMITH. Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read. And before I recognize the gentleman from California, let me say that I do support his amendment, and he is recognized to explain it. 

Mr. SWALWELL. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a simple one, 

intended to ensure that the most accurate, up to date science is 

being used to help keep us safe and plan for natural disasters like 

drought. This amendment simply includes the language that was 

passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and 

Transportation. 

Being from California, I understand the damage prolonged 

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pacts not only agricultural communities and, in my Congressional 

district, we have 55 wineries, but also the larger surrounding 

economies. We must make sure we are using our resources wisely 

in working with full information. My amendment does just that by 

specifying that ongoing research related to drought should include 

the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in 

drought. 

Just last month, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory climate scientists and scientists from 16 other organizations announced that they have found that changes in precipitation patterns are clearly related to human activities. I would like to submit 

for the record the scientific article identifying external influences 

on global precipitation which appeared in the journal article proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Thank you, Mr. 

Chair. 

And finally, the language I am proposing did pass out of the Senate Committee by voice vote. And if that Committee, which has 

both members, Senator Boxer and Senator Cruz, can voice vote and 

agree on that language, I am very optimistic about the chances of 

that—this amendment passing through our Committee. So I want 

to thank the Chair again for accepting this amendment. And I 

would like to thank my colleague from Florida, Ms. Wilson, for joining me as a co-sponsor, and yield back the balance of my time. 

Chairman SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Swalwell. Is there any further 

discussion on the amendment? If not, all in favor say aye. Opposed, 

nay. And through the Chair, the ayes have it, and the amendment 

is agreed to. We will now go to the next amendment, and the gentlewoman from Oregon is recognized for her amendment. 

Ms. BONAMICI. Thank you. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment 

at the desk. 

Chairman SMITH. The clerk will report the amendment. 

The CLERK. Amendment to H.R. 2431, offered by Ms.—— 

[The amendment of Ms. Bonamici appears in Appendix I] 

Chairman SMITH. Without objection, the amendment will be considered as read, and the gentlewoman from Oregon is recognized 

to explain her amendment. 

Ms. BONAMICI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you to Mr. 

Hall for your effort to reauthorize the National Integrated Drought 

Information System. This is an important program, and the reauthorization represents an opportunity for us to do something in this 

Committee that will tangibly benefit our constituents. 

The amendment I am offering today is a straightforward attempt 

to increase slightly the funding authorized for NIDIS under the 

bill. This amendment would raise the funding level by just $1 million per year from $13.5 to $14.5 for the fiscal years authorized 

under the bill. Currently, the Senate has moved its version of legislation to reauthorize NIDIS through Committee. And their bill authorizes $14.5 million. Bringing the funding level in our bill in line 

with that will speed passage of a final bill. 

The initial legislation to establish NIDIS was authorized by our 

former Chairman, Mr. Hall. It authorized $11 million for Fiscal 

Year 2007, with a prescribed increase of $1 million in the authorization for each following year. By the final year in 2012, the program was reauthorized—was authorized at $16 million. Realizing 


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22 

of course that we find ourselves in a difficult budget climate presently, I see no reason why we hinder a program that is functioning 

well and helping constituents by reducing the authorized funding 

level to below Fiscal Year 2010 levels. 

Severe drought conditions can cause farmers in our country to 

lose billions of dollars. In many cases, the Federal Government 

bears a large share of that financial burden through crop insurance 

expenditures and disaster declarations. If we don’t adequately fund 

a program that helps farmers prepare for and mitigate the effects 

of severe drought, we are simply opening up the government for 

deeper expenditures in the long term on the backend. 

One million dollars today pales in comparison to the billions that 

the government and small farmers will pay to recover from damage 

done by drought. I urge passage of this commonsense amendment, 

which we hope will speed passage of the final bill. And I yield back 

the balance of my time. 

Chairman SMITH. Thank you, Ms. Bonamici. And I will recognize 

myself in opposition to the amendment. Now, this amendment 

would increase the authorization levels of the legislation from 

$13.5 million to $14.5 million for each Fiscal Year from 2014 to 

2018. I oppose the amendment which raises the authorization 

amount far above what the Administration itself has requested. 

Now, I yield the balance of my time to the Chairman of the Environment Subcommittee, Mr. Stewart. 

Mr. STEWART. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding. And, unfortunately, I must also oppose this amendment. And when I say 

unfortunately, it is because I have made my respect for the Ranking Member no secret, but there would be no surprise that we come 

from slightly different views when it comes to what is considered 

adequate levels of funding. 

The authorization level in Mr. Hall’s bill reflects an adequate 

funding level that has enabled NIDIS program to work effectively 

and efficiently. And the bottom line I think is simply this, the authorization is nearly identical to the President’s 2014 request for 

this program, which is $13.6 million. This authorization is almost 

at the highest level at which the administration has actually spent 

on NIDIS. I think that we recognize all of us in this room that we 

live in a new fiscal reality, and I believe this authorization should 

reflect that reality. And that is the reason, Mr. Chairman, why I 

would oppose this amendment. 

Chairman SMITH. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Is there any 

further discussion on the amendment? And the gentlewoman from 

Texas, Ms. Johnson, is recognized. 

Ms. JOHNSON. I would strike the last word, Mr. Chairman, I 

would like to speak on behalf of the amendment as I mentioned in 

the opening statement, as well just a couple more examples. 

If you look at the top five most expensive disasters in the U.S. 

since 1980, three of those are due to drought. And these staggering 

economic costs directly and indirectly affect the government. For 

instance, in the two-year period from 2011 and 2012, the Federal 

Government expended $28 billion in crop insurance as a direct result of drought. The NIDIS program is intended to help alleviate 

some of the economic impacts of drought. 


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23 

Notably, one of the program goals is to improve drought early 

warning. Better early warning and impeding drought would allow 

states, localities and farmers to better plan their activities so that 

the economic costs related to droughts could be reduced or mitigated. Every witness who has ever testified or spoken to our Committee about this program has highlighted the need to improve this 

early warning capacity. 

The Administration has recognized the value of this, and the Fiscal Year 2014 budget request included additional monies for this 

purpose. This isn’t a goal that can be accomplished for free. It will 

take a sustained investment of additional monies to achieve the results we need. Unfortunately, the authorization numbers in the 

majority bill will preclude this work from occurring as they lock 

they agency into a funding cap that is below Fiscal Year 2014 

budget requests. 

Moreover, they cap the agency’s funding at this level for the next 

five years, thus precluding any chance that the program could do 

this important work during this timeframe. Ms. Bonamici’s amendment would raise the funding levels by $1 million per year for the 

life of the authorization. I think this is a reasonable increase to 

help accomplish the goal that everyone seems to endorse. 

Moreover, this aligns our bill with the bipartisan senate companion bill, which has already been reported out of Committee. I 

would like to take an additional moment to make a brief comment 

about the nature of these budget numbers. Normally, in a long 

term authorization of this sort, once expert witnesses or stakeholders have identified their important goals to be achieved by the 

program, we would ask the agency how much money would be required to meet these goals. In this case, we have not. And our 

haste to markup this bill. We have not taken the time to get the 

information from the agency. The only witness I can recall who 

gave specific testimony on authorization levels advised us that we 

should start the authorization at $16 million and ramp up funding 

to $24 million after five years. 

So I think the gentlelady’s amendment is pretty reasonable. It 

will certainly align more closely with what the Senate is doing, 

which might make enactment of this bill more likely. That is, after 

all, what we are supposed to be doing here. And when the Federal 

Government is spending tens of billions of dollars per year to mitigate the effects of drought, I think it makes sense to expend a couple of million dollars to try and reduce those massive costs to our 

taxpayers and our communities. 

It is pretty clear that in this instance, our ounce of prevention 

will get us a proud—a pound of cure. I support this amendment 

and yield back. 

Chairman SMITH. Okay. Thank you, Ms. Johnson. Is there any 

further discussion on the Bonamici amendment? If not, all in favor 

say aye. Those opposed, say nay. In the opinion of the Chair, the 

nays have it, and the amendment is not agreed to. If there are no 

further amendments, then the next item of business is reporting 

the bill, H.R. 2431, a reporting quorum being present, the question 

is on the bill, H.R. 2431, as amended, those in favor say aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes have it. And the bill, as amended, is ordered 

reported favorably. Without objection, the Motion to Reconsider is 


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24 

laid upon the table, and I move that the bill, H.R. 2431, as amended, be favorably reported to the House and the staff be authorized 

to make any necessary technical and conforming changes. Without 

objection, so ordered. 


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(25) 

Appendix I 

H.R. 2431, THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT 

INFORMATION SYSTEM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS, AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENT ROSTER


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tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REPORTS82225.036

u.s. AUTH'''<C'',"~ GOVERNMENT 

tNf'ORMAT\ON 

GPO 

11:3THCONGRESS H R 2431 1ST S}<}SSION 

• • 

To reauthorize the Natioual Integrated Drought Information System. 

IN THE HOUSE OP REPRESEN'rATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2013 

Mr. HALl, (for himself, Mr. SlYHTII of Texas, and Mr. BEN RAY LUJAN of 

New Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information 

System. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and HouSe of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congre$.s assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the "National Integrated 

5 Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 

6 2013". 

7 SEC. 2. NlDIS PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 

8 Section 3 of the National Integrated Drought Infor9 mation System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amend10 ed-
27 


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2 

1 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the pe2 riod at the end the follmving: "to better inform and 

3 provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce 

4 drought related impacts and costs"; 

5 (2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the 

6 following: 

7 "(b) SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.-The National Integrated 

8 Drought Information System shall9 "(1) provide an effective drought early warning 

10 system that11 "(A) collects and integrates information on 

12 the key indicators of drought and drought im13 pacts in order to makc usable, reliable, and 

14 timely forecasts of drought, including assess15 ments of the severity of drought conditions and 

16 impacts; and 

17 "(B) provides such information, forecasts, 

18 and assessments on both national and regional 

19 levels; 

20 "(2) communicate drought forecasts, drought 

21 conditions, and drought impacts on an ongoing basis 

22 to public and private entities engaged in drought 

23 planning and preparedness, including-

.HR 24311H 
28 


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3 

1 "(A) decisionmakers at the Federal, rc2 gional, State, tribal, and local levels of govern3 mentj 

4 "(B) the private sector; and 

5 "(C) the public; 

6 "(3) provide timcly data, information, and 

7 products that rcflect local, regional, and State dif8 ferences in drought conditions; 

9 "( 4) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, 

10 :F'ederal research and monitoring in support of a 

11 drought early warning systcm; 

12 "(5) build upon existing forecasting and assess13 ment programs and partnerships, including through 

14 the designation of one or more cooperative institutes 

15 to assist with National Integrated Drought Informa16 tionSystem functions; and 

17 "(6) continue ongoing research and monitoring 

18 activitics related to drought."; and 

19 (3) by adding' at the end the following: 

20 "(e) REPORT.-

21 "(1) IN GENERAL.-Not latcr than 18 months 

22 after the date of enactment of the National Inte23 grated Drought Information System Reauthorization 

24 Act of 2013, the Under Secretary shall transmit to 

25 the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 

.HR 24311H 
29 


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4 

1 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

2 Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen3 ate a report that contains4 "(A) an analysis of the implementation of 

5 the National Integrated Drought Information 

6 System program, including how the informa7 tion, forecasts, and assessments are utilized in 

8 drought policy planning and response activities; 

9 "(B) specific plans for continued develop10 ment of such program, including future mile11 stones; and 

12 "(C) an identification of research, moni13 toring, and forecasting needs to enhance the 

14 predictive capability of drought early warnings 

15 that include16 "(i) the length and severity of 

17 droughts; 

18 "(ii) the contribution of weather 

19 events to reducing the severity or ending 

20 drought conditions; and 

21 "(iii) regionally specific drought Im22 pacts. 

23 "(2) CONSULTATION.-In developing the report 

24 under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall con25 sult with relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, 

.HR 2481 IH 
30 


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5 

1 and local government agencies, research institutions, 

2 and the private sector.". 

3 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 Section 4 of such Act is amended to read as follows: 

5 "SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 "There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

7 this Act $13,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 

8 2018.". 

o 

.HR 2431 m 
31 

SECTION–BY–SECTION ANALYSIS OF

H.R. 2431, THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM 

REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2013 

Purpose: To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System. 

Section 1. 

Short Title. This section establishes the short title of the bill as the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013. 

Section 2. NIDIS Program Amendments. 

Section 2 modifies the purpose of the NIDIS program ‘‘to better inform and provide for more timely decision making to reduce drought related impacts and costs.’’ 

Section 2 modifies existing language by reorganizing in order to distinguish between the function of the NIDIS program in general and the early warning system 

specifically. The functions are largely the same as those in existing law, reorganized 

to reflect the distinction. The only additional function added is to allow NIDIS to 

‘‘continue ongoing research activities related to drought.’’ Section 2 reestablishes 

NIDIS system functions including building upon forecasting and assessment partnerships and the designation of one or more cooperative institutes to assist with 

NIDIS functions. 

Section 2 also adds a new subsection (e) which requires the Undersecretary of 

Commerce to provide the Committee with a report 18 months after enactment. This 

report should (i) include an analysis of the implementation of NIDIS, including how 

the information, forecasts, and assessments are utilized in drought planning policy 

and response activities; (ii) describe specific plans, including future milestones, for 

continued development of such programs; and (iii) identify research, monitoring, and 

forecasting needs to enhance the predictive capability of drought early warnings, the 

length and severity of droughts, and the contribution of weather events to reducing 

or ending drought conditions. In developing this report, the Undersecretary is also 

required to consult with relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, research institutions, and the private sector. 

Section 3. Authorization of Appropriations. 

Section 3 amends Section 4 of the 2006 Act to authorize appropriations for each 

of fiscal years 2014 through 2018 in the amount of $13.5 per year. 


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20 

AMENDMENTS 

F;\M 13\SW ALWE\SWALWE_025.XML 

AMENDMENT TO B.R. 2431 

OFFERED BY MR. SWALWELL OF CALIFORNIA AND 

Ms. WILSON OF FLORIDA 

Page 3, lin!.' 18, il1sclt ", including rcscarch acthitics relating to length, IwYel'it)-, alld impact!; of drought 

and the role of extreme weather e"cnts and climate "ariahility ill (lJ-ought" after "related to drought". 

f:IVHLClI20413\120413.220.xm! 

December 4. 2013 (5:38 p.m.) 

(5Il564111) 
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21 

AMENDMENT ROSTER 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

Full Committee Markup 

December 5, 2013 

AMENDMENT ROSTER 

H.R. 2431, the "National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013" 

No. Amendment Summary 

1 Amendment to Includes activities relating to length, severity, and 

H.R.2431 impacts of drought and the role of extreme weather Agreed to by 

Offered by events and climate variability as part of the ongoing Voice Vote 

Mr.Swalwell NIDIS research activities. 

(CA) 

Ms. Wilson 

(FL) 

(025) 

2 Amendmentto Increasing the authorization amounts by $1 million 

H.R.2431 from $13.5 million to $14.5 million Not Agreed to 

Offered by Ms. by Voice Vote 

Bonamici (OR) 

(001) 
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F:\TB\SC\NEDIS13_001.XML 

AMENDMENT TO B.R. 2431 

OFFERED BY ,(s. j)."fftAff,'C; 

Page 5, line 7, strike "$13,500,000" and insert 

"$14,500,000" . 

f;\VHLC'\I20313\1ata.123.xml 

December 3, 2013 (2:38 p.m.) 

(565534J1) 
(35) 

Appendix II 

LETTERS FOR THE RECORD


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LETTERS SUBMITTED BY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN EMERITUS, 

RALPH M. HALL


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Honorable Lamar Smith 

July 23, 2013 

Page 2 

For these reasons, Western Governors support reauthorization of NIDIS and urge 

passage of H.R. 2431. Furthermore, WGA looks forward to continuing to work with you on this 

legislation in order to ensure that the productive partnership that NIDIS has fostered between 

states and federal agencies can be further developed. In the meantime, with appreciation for 

your leadership, I am 

cc: Members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee 

Similar letter sent to Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ralph Hall, and Ray Lujrm 
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POSITION 

or the 

WESTERN STATES WATER COUNCIL 

regarding 

REAUTHORIZATION OF 

Position No. 346 

THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM (NIDIS) ACT 

San Antonio, Texas 

October 12, 2012 

WHEREAS, the Western States Water Council is a policy advisory body representing 

eighteen states, and has long been involved in western water conservation, development, 

protection, and management issues, and the member states and political subdivisions have long 

been partners in cooperative federal water and climate data collection and analysis programs; and 

WHEREAS, drought has been, is, and will be an ongoing fact of life in the relatively arid 

West; and 

WHEREAS, in 2012 drought conditions existed throughout much of the western and 

central parts of the U.S., covering an area amounting to about two-thirds of the Nation; and 

WHEREAS, the NIDIS Act of2006, Public Law 109-430, was enacted to provide an 

effective drought early warning system, coordinate federal research in support of a drought early 

warning system, and build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs; and 

WHEREAS, the authorization of appropriations in the 2006 Act extended from fiscal year 

2007 through fiscal year 2012; and 

WHEREAS, there is a need for maintaining and improving existing monitoring networks 

that help provide drought early warning as well as tracking impacts of drought; and 

WHEREAS, there is a need for developing new monitoring technologies, such as remote 

sensing, that provide more timely data availability and better spatial coverage for assessing drought 

impacts; and 

WHEREAS, present approaches for intraseasonal to interannual weather/climate 

forecasting are not capable of providing early warning of drought, a capability that would be 

immensely useful for managing water resources to lessen drought impacts; and 

WHEREAS, the only factor now providing limited understanding of drought prediction is 

the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and continuing federal research to develop new 

predictive capability at intraseasonal to interannual time scales - such as research on the influence 

of other ocean-atmosphere interactions on ENSO - is sorely needed; and 

WHEREAS, there is a continuing need for a federal role in coordination of research 

programs related to drought early warning and prediction; 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Western States Water Council 

supports legislation to reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) 

Act. 

F:\POSITI0N\20l2\SanAntonioOctI2\2012~12 };JDlS Reauthorization PositiotlDOC 
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ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN STATE ENGINEERS 

2013 POSITION STATEMENT 

D~9UGHIP.~~J§JANGI; 

The federal government has a role in providing financial and technical assistance to 

states with severe to extreme drought impacts, much the same as it does when other 

natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, and tornados) cause tremendous hardship and 

financial burden on local economies that are otherwise unable to cope. Since drought 

conditions continue to persist across the western United States, it is still necessary to 

plan for and respond to drought emergencies and climate variability. 

The Association of Western State Engineers supports the efforts of the Western 

Governors' Association to encourage federal agencies to develop long-term drought 

management plans for federal projects and to support the state efforts to develop plans 

for non-federal projects. The Association of Western State Engineers urges the federal 

government to continue working with the states in the implementation of the National 

Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS). Congress should reauthorize and fund 

full implementation of the NIDIS implementation plan to enable the National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration to provide better information to decision makers at 

every level of government. 

The Association of Western State Engineers believes that its implementation must not 

insert federal authority into state water law issues or water administration practices. 

Each state has retained its sovereign authority over water use and administration issues, 

and the receipt of federal aid does not in any way reduce or abrogate that authority. 

The crafting of federal drought legislation cannot be seen as an opportunity on the part 

of the federal government to dictate how individual state's water administration systems 

should function. 

Adopted September 25,2013. 

Association of Western State Engineers 

Todd Sando, P.E., President