IIB 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5136 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 

Received 

NOVEMBER 13, 2006 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

AN ACT 

To establish a National Integrated Drought Information System within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to improve drought monitoring and forecasting capabilities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Integrated 

3 Drought Information System Act of 2006’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) DROUGHT.—The term ‘‘drought’’ means a 

7 deficiency in precipitation— 

8 (A) that leads to a deficiency in surface or 

9 subsurface water supplies (including rivers, 

10 streams, wetlands, ground water, soil moisture, 

11 reservoir supplies, lake levels, and snow pack); 

12 and 

13 (B) that causes or may cause— 

14 (i) substantial economic or social im15 pacts; or 

16 (ii) substantial physical damage or in17 jury to individuals, property, or the envi18 ronment. 

19 (2) UNDER SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under 

20 Secretary’’ means the Under Secretary of Commerce 

21 for Oceans and Atmosphere. 

22 SEC. 3. NIDIS PROGRAM. 

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

24 National Weather Service and other appropriate weather 

25 and climate programs in the National Oceanic and AtmosVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:03 Nov 15, 2006 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.RFS H5136

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1 pheric Administration, shall establish a National Inte2 grated Drought Information System. 

3 (b) SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.—The National Integrated 

4 Drought Information System shall— 

5 (1) provide an effective drought early warning 

6 system that— 

7 (A) is a comprehensive system that collects 

8 and integrates information on the key indica9 tors of drought in order to make usable, reli10 able, and timely drought forecasts and assess11 ments of drought, including assessments of the 

12 severity of drought conditions and impacts; 

13 (B) communicates drought forecasts, 

14 drought conditions, and drought impacts on an 

15 ongoing basis to— 

16 (i) decisionmakers at the Federal, re17 gional, State, tribal, and local levels of gov18 ernment; 

19 (ii) the private sector; and 

20 (iii) the public, 

21 in order to engender better informed and more 

22 timely decisions thereby leading to reduced im23 pacts and costs; and 

24 (C) includes timely (where possible real25 time) data, information, and products that reVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:03 Nov 15, 2006 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5136.RFS H5136

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1 flect local, regional, and State differences in 

2 drought conditions; 

3 (2) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, 

4 Federal research in support of a drought early warn5 ing system; and 

6 (3) build upon existing forecasting and assess7 ment programs and partnerships. 

8 (c) CONSULTATION.—The Under Secretary shall con9 sult with relevant Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local 

10 government agencies, research institutions, and the pri11 vate sector in the development of the National Integrated 

12 Drought Information System. 

13 (d) COOPERATION FROM OTHER FEDERAL AGEN14 CIES.—Each Federal agency shall cooperate as appro15 priate with the Under Secretary in carrying out this Act. 

16 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

17 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

18 this Act— 

19 (1) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; 

20 (2) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2008; 

21 (3) $13,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 

22 (4) $14,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 

23 (5) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 


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1 (6) $16,000,000 for fiscal year 2012. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 

2006. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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