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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2198 Placed on Calendar Senate (PCS)]

                                                       Calendar No. 344
113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2198

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and 
   the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take 
actions to provide additional water supplies and disaster assistance to 
 the State of California and other Western States due to drought, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 1, 2014

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
 Reid, Mr. Heller, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Stabenow, and Mr. 
  Casey) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

                             April 2, 2014

            Read the second time and placed on the calendar

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and 
   the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take 
actions to provide additional water supplies and disaster assistance to 
 the State of California and other Western States due to drought, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Emergency Drought Relief Act of 
2014''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents of this Act are as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
                   TITLE I--EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF

Sec. 101. Findings.
Sec. 102. Definitions.
Sec. 103. Emergency projects.
Sec. 104. Emergency funding.
Sec. 105. Emergency environmental reviews.
Sec. 106. State revolving funds.
Sec. 107. Drought planning assistance.
Sec. 108. Calfed Bay-Delta Act reauthorization.
Sec. 109. Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act 
                            reauthorization.
Sec. 110. Secure Water Act reauthorization.
Sec. 111. Colorado River Basin System water.
Sec. 112. Effect on State laws.
Sec. 113. Klamath Basin water supply.
Sec. 114. Termination of authorities.
                 TITLE II--FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE

Sec. 201. Treatment of drought under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                            Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

                   TITLE I--EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF

SEC. 101. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) as established in the Proclamation of a State of 
        Emergency issued by the Governor of the State on January 17, 
        2014, the State is experiencing record dry conditions;
            (2) extremely dry conditions have persisted in the State 
        since 2012, and the current drought conditions are likely to 
        persist into the future;
            (3) the water supplies of the State are at record-low 
        levels, as indicated by a statewide average snowpack of 12 
        percent of the normal average for winter as of February 1, 
        2014, and the fact that all major Central Valley Project 
        reservoir levels are below 50 percent of the capacity of the 
        reservoirs as of the date of enactment of this Act;
            (4) the 2013-2014 drought constitutes a serious emergency 
        posing immediate and severe risks to human life and safety and 
        to the environment throughout the State;
            (5) the emergency requires--
                    (A) immediate and credible action that respects the 
                complexity of the State of California's water system 
                and its importance to the entire State; and
                    (B) policies that do not pit stakeholders against 
                one another, which history has shown only leads to 
                costly litigation that benefits no one and prevents any 
                real solutions;
            (6) Federal law (including regulations) directly authorizes 
        expedited decisionmaking procedures and environmental and 
        public review procedures to enable timely and appropriate 
        implementation of actions to respond to such a type and 
        severity of emergency; and
            (7) the serious emergency posed by the 2013-2014 drought in 
        the State fully satisfies the conditions necessary for the 
        exercise of emergency decision making, analytical, and public 
        review requirements under--
                    (A) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
                1531 et seq.);
                    (B) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
                (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
                    (C) water control management procedures of the 
                Corps of Engineers described in section 222.5 of title 
                33, Code of Federal Regulations (including successor 
                regulations); and
                    (D) the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief 
                Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-250; 106 Stat. 53).

SEC. 102. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Central valley project.--The term ``Central Valley 
        Project'' has the meaning given the term in section 3403 of the 
        Central Valley Project Improvement Act (106 Stat. 4707).
            (2) Klamath project.--The term ``Klamath Project'' means 
        the Bureau of Reclamation project in the States of California 
        and Oregon--
                    (A) as authorized under the Act of June 17, 1902 
                (32 Stat. 388, chapter 1093); and
                    (B) as described in--
                            (i) title II of the Oregon Resource 
                        Conservation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-208; 
                        110 Stat. 3009-532); and
                            (ii) the Klamath Basin Water Supply 
                        Enhancement Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-498; 
                        114 Stat. 2221).
            (3) Reclamation project.--The term ``Reclamation Project'' 
        means a project constructed pursuant to the authorities of the 
        reclamation laws and whose facilities are wholly or partially 
        located in the State.
            (4) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means--
                    (A) the Administrator of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency;
                    (B) the Secretary of Commerce; and
                    (C) the Secretary of the Interior.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of 
        California.
            (6) State water project.--The term ``State Water Project'' 
        means the water project described by California Water Code 
        section 11550 et seq., and operated by the California 
        Department of Water Resources.

SEC. 103. EMERGENCY PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--In response to the declaration of a state of 
drought emergency by the Governor of the State, the Secretaries shall 
provide the maximum quantity of water supplies possible to Central 
Valley Project and Klamath Project agricultural, municipal and 
industrial, and refuge service and repayment contractors, State Water 
Project contractors, and any other locality or municipality in the 
State, by approving, consistent with applicable laws (including 
regulations)--
            (1) any project or operations to provide additional water 
        supplies if there is any possible way whatsoever that the 
        Secretaries can do so unless the project or operations 
        constitute a highly inefficient way of providing additional 
        water supplies; and
            (2) any projects or operations as quickly as possible based 
        on available information to address the emergency conditions.
    (b) Mandate.--In carrying out subsection (a), the applicable agency 
heads described in that subsection shall, consistent with applicable 
laws (including regulations)--
            (1) authorize and implement actions to ensure that the 
        Delta Cross Channel Gates shall remain open to the greatest 
        extent possible, timed to maximize the peak flood tide period 
        and provide water supply and water quality benefits for the 
        duration of the State's drought emergency declaration, 
        consistent with operational criteria and monitoring criteria 
        developed pursuant to the California State Water Resources 
        Control Board's Order Approving a Temporary Urgency Change in 
        License and Permit Terms in Response to Drought Conditions, 
        effective January 31, 2014, or a successor order;
            (2)(A) collect data associated with the operation of the 
        Delta Cross Channel Gates described in paragraph (1) and its 
        impact on species listed as threatened or endangered under the 
        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), water 
        quality, and water supply; and
            (B) after assessing the data described in subparagraph (A), 
        require the Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service 
        to recommend revisions to operations of the Central Valley 
        Project and the California State Water Project, including, if 
        appropriate, the reasonable and prudent alternatives contained 
        in the biological opinion issued by the National Marine 
        Fisheries Service on June 4, 2009, that are likely to produce 
        fishery, water quality, and water supply benefits;
            (3)(A) implement turbidity control strategies that allow 
        for increased water deliveries while avoiding jeopardy to adult 
        delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) due to entrainment at 
        Central Valley Project and State Water Project pumping plants; 
        and
            (B) manage reverse flow in Old and Middle Rivers as 
        prescribed by the biological opinion issued by the United 
        States Fish and Wildlife Service and dated December 15, 2008, 
        to minimize water supply reductions for the Central Valley 
        Project and the State Water Project;
            (4) adopt a 1:1 inflow to export ratio for the increased 
        flow of the San Joaquin River, as measured as a 3-day running 
        average at Vernalis during the period from April 1 through May 
        31, resulting from voluntary transfers and exchanges of water 
        supplies, among other purposes;
            (5) issue all necessary permit decisions under the 
        authority of the Secretaries within 30 days of receiving a 
        completed application by the State to place and use temporary 
        barriers or operable gates in Delta channels to improve water 
        quantity and quality for State Water Project and Central Valley 
        Project South of Delta water contractors and other water users, 
        which barriers or gates should provide benefits for species 
        protection and in-Delta water user water quality and shall be 
        designed such that formal consultations under section 7 of the 
        Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) would not be 
        necessary;
            (6)(A) require the Director of the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service and the Commissioner of the Bureau of 
        Reclamation to complete all requirements under the National 
        Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and 
        the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 
        necessary to make final permit decisions on water transfer 
        requests associated with voluntarily fallowing nonpermanent 
        crops in the State, within 30 days of receiving such a request; 
        and
            (B) require the Director of the United States Fish and 
        Wildlife Service to allow any water transfer request associated 
        with fallowing to maximize the quantity of water supplies 
        available for nonhabitat uses as long as the fallowing and 
        associated water transfer are in compliance with applicable 
        Federal laws (including regulations);
            (7) allow North of Delta water service contractors with 
        unused 2013 Central Valley Project contract supplies to take 
        delivery of those unused supplies through April 15, 2014, if--
                    (A) the contractor requests the extension; and
                    (B) the requesting contractor certifies that, 
                without the extension, the contractor would have 
                insufficient supplies to adequately meet water delivery 
                obligations;
            (8) maintain all rescheduled water supplies held in the San 
        Luis Reservoir and Millerton Reservoir for all water users for 
        delivery in the immediately following contract water year 
        unless precluded by reservoir storage capacity limitations;
            (9) to the maximum extent possible based on the 
        availability of water and without causing land subsidence--
                    (A) meet the contract water supply needs of Central 
                Valley Project refuges through the improvement or 
                installation of wells to use groundwater resources and 
                the purchase of water from willing sellers, which 
                activities may be accomplished by using funding made 
                available under section 104 or the Water Assistance 
                Program or the WaterSMART program of the Department of 
                the Interior; and
                    (B) make a quantity of Central Valley Project 
                surface water obtained from the measures implemented 
                under subparagraph (A) available to Central Valley 
                Project contractors;
            (10) make any WaterSMART grant funding allocated to the 
        State available on a priority and expedited basis for projects 
        in the State that--
                    (A) provide emergency drinking and municipal water 
                supplies to localities in a quantity necessary to meet 
                minimum public health and safety needs;
                    (B) prevent the loss of permanent crops;
                    (C) minimize economic losses resulting from drought 
                conditions; or
                    (D) provide innovative water conservation tools and 
                technology for agriculture and urban water use that can 
                have immediate water supply benefits;
            (11) implement offsite upstream projects in the Delta and 
        upstream Sacramento River and San Joaquin basins, in 
        coordination with the California Department of Water Resources 
        and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, that offset 
        the effects on species listed as threatened or endangered under 
        the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) due 
        to actions taken under this Act; and
            (12) use all available scientific tools to identify and 
        implement any changes to real-time operations of Bureau of 
        Reclamation, State, and local water projects that could result 
        in the availability of additional water supplies.
    (c) Other Agencies.--To the extent that a Federal agency other than 
agencies headed by the Secretaries has a role in approving projects 
described in subsections (a) and (b), the provisions of this section 
shall apply to those Federal agencies.
    (d) Accelerated Project Decision and Elevation.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the request of the State, the heads 
        of Federal agencies shall use the expedited procedures under 
        this subsection to make final decisions relating to a Federal 
        project or operation to provide additional water supplies or 
        address emergency drought conditions pursuant to subsections 
        (a) and (b).
            (2) Request for resolution.--
                    (A) In general.--Upon the request of the State, the 
                head of an agency referred to in subsection (a), or the 
                head of another Federal agency responsible for carrying 
                out a review of a project, as applicable, the Secretary 
                of the Interior shall convene a final project decision 
                meeting with the heads of all relevant Federal agencies 
                to decide whether to approve a project to provide 
                emergency water supplies.
                    (B) Meeting.--The Secretary of the Interior shall 
                convene a meeting requested under subparagraph (A) not 
                later than 7 days after receiving the meeting request.
            (3) Notification.--Upon receipt of a request for a meeting 
        under this subsection, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
        notify the heads of all relevant Federal agencies of the 
        request, including the project to be reviewed and the date for 
        the meeting.
            (4) Decision.--Not later than 10 days after the date on 
        which a meeting is requested under paragraph (2), the head of 
        the relevant Federal agency shall issue a final decision on the 
        project.
            (5) Meeting convened by secretary.--The Secretary may 
        convene a final project decision meeting under this subsection 
        at any time, at the discretion of the Secretary, regardless of 
        whether a meeting is requested under paragraph (2).

SEC. 104. EMERGENCY FUNDING.

    (a) Financial Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--Financial assistance may be made available 
        under the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 
        1991 (43 U.S.C. 2201 et seq.), subtitle F of title IX of the 
        Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10361 et 
        seq.) (commonly known as the ``Secure Water Act of 2009''), and 
        any other applicable Federal law (including regulations), to be 
        divided among each applicable program at the discretion of the 
        Secretary for eligible water projects to assist drought-plagued 
        areas of the State and the West.
            (2) Additional availability.--Financial assistance may be 
        made available under this section to organizations and 
        entities, including tribal governments, that are engaged in 
        collaborative processes to restore the environment while 
        settling water rights claims that are part of an active water 
        rights adjudication or a broader settlement of claims that are 
        part of a basin-wide solution for restoration.
    (b) Types of Assistance.--Assistance under subsection (a) shall 
include a range of projects, including--
            (1) the installation of pumps, temporary barriers, or 
        operable gates for water diversion and fish protection;
            (2) the installation of groundwater wells in wildlife 
        refuges and other areas;
            (3) the purchase or assistance in the purchase of water 
        from willing sellers;
            (4) conservation projects providing water supply benefits 
        in the short-term;
            (5) exchanges with any water district willing to provide 
        water to meet the emergency water needs of other water 
        districts in return for the delivery of equivalent quantities 
        of water later that year or in future years;
            (6) maintenance of cover crops to prevent public health 
        impacts from severe dust storms;
            (7) emergency pumping projects for critical health and 
        safety purposes;
            (8) activities to reduce water demand consistent with a 
        comprehensive program for environmental restoration and 
        settlement of water rights claims;
            (9) the use of new or innovative water on-farm water 
        conservation technologies or methods that may assist in 
        sustaining permanent crops in areas with severe water 
        shortages;
            (10) technical assistance to improve existing irrigation 
        practices to provide water supply benefits in the short-term; 
        and
            (11) any other assistance the Secretary determines to be 
        necessary to increase available water supplies or mitigate 
        drought impacts.

SEC. 105. EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.

    To minimize the time spent carrying out environmental reviews and 
to deliver water quickly that is needed to address emergency drought 
conditions, the head of each applicable Federal agency shall, in 
carrying out this Act, consult with the Council on Environmental 
Quality in accordance with section 1506.11 of title 40, Code of Federal 
Regulations (including successor regulations) to develop alternative 
arrangements to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) during the emergency.

SEC. 106. STATE REVOLVING FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, in allocating amounts for each of the fiscal years during which 
the State's emergency drought declaration is in force to State water 
pollution control revolving funds established under title VI of the 
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) and the 
State drinking water treatment revolving loan funds established under 
section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12), shall, 
for those projects that are eligible to receive assistance under 
section 603 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383) 
or section 1452(a)(2) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-
12(a)(2)), respectively, that the State determines will provide 
additional water supplies most expeditiously to areas that are at risk 
of having an inadequate supply of water for public health and safety 
purposes or to improve resiliency to drought--
            (1) require the State to review and prioritize funding for 
        such projects;
            (2) issue a determination of waivers within 30 days of the 
        conclusion of the informal public comment period pursuant to 
        section 436(c) of title IV of division G of Public Law 113-76; 
        and
            (3) authorize, at the request of the State, 40-year 
        financing for assistance under section 603(d)(2) of the Federal 
        Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1383(d)(2)) or section 
        1452(f)(2) of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-
        12(f)(2)).
    (b) Applicability.--Paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (a) shall 
apply to any other State--
            (1) that has a State-declared drought declaration in force; 
        or
            (2) for which a natural disaster has been declared by the 
        Secretary of Agriculture under section 321(a) of the 
        Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1961(a)) 
        for drought or agricultural disaster.
    (c) Effect of Section.--Nothing in this section authorizes the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to modify any 
funding allocation, funding criteria, or other requirement relating to 
State water pollution control revolving funds established under title 
VI of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.) 
and the State drinking water treatment revolving loan funds established 
under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300j-12) 
for any State other than as described in subsections (a) and (b).

SEC. 107. DROUGHT PLANNING ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Upon the request of Central Valley Project or 
Klamath Project contractors or other Reclamation Project contractors in 
the State, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Commissioner of Reclamation, shall provide water supply planning 
assistance in preparation for and in response to dry, critically dry, 
and below normal water year types to those Central Valley Project or 
Klamath Project contractors or other Reclamation Project contractors 
making those requests, including contractors who possess contracts for 
refuge water supplies or deliver refuge water supplies.
    (b) Types of Assistance.--Assistance under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) hydrological forecasting;
            (2) assessment of water supply sources under different 
        water year classification types;
            (3) identification of alternative water supply sources;
            (4) guidance on potential water transfer partners;
            (5) technical assistance regarding Federal and State 
        permits and contracts under the Act of February 21, 1911 (36 
        Stat. 925, chapter 141) (commonly known as the ``Warren Act'');
            (6) technical assistance regarding emergency provision of 
        water supplies for critical health and safety purposes;
            (7) activities carried out in conjunction with the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Integrated 
        Drought Information System, and the State partners of the 
        National Integrated Drought Information System under the 
        National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 (15 
        U.S.C. 313d)--
                    (A) to collect and integrate key indicators of 
                drought severity and impacts; and
                    (B) to produce and communicate timely monitoring 
                and forecast information to local and regional 
                communities, including the San Joaquin Valley, the 
                Delta, and the Central Coast; and
            (8) any other assistance the Secretary determines to be 
        necessary.

SEC. 108. CALFED BAY-DELTA ACT REAUTHORIZATION.

    Title I of the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental 
Improvement Act (118 Stat. 1681; 123 Stat. 2860) (as amended by section 
207 of title II of division D of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2014) is amended by striking ``2015'' each place it appears and 
inserting ``2018''.

SEC. 109. RECLAMATION STATES EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF ACT 
              REAUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 301 of the Reclamation States Emergency 
Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2241) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$90,000,000'' and inserting 
        ``$190,000,000''; and
            (2) by striking ``2012'' and inserting ``2019''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 104(c) of the Reclamation States 
Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 (43 U.S.C. 2214(c)) is amended by 
striking ``2017'' and inserting ``2019''.

SEC. 110. SECURE WATER ACT REAUTHORIZATION.

    Section 9504 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 
U.S.C. 10364) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                            (i) by striking ``; and'' and inserting ``; 
                        or'';
                            (ii) by striking ``(A) be located within 
                        the States'' and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) be located within--
                            ``(i) the States''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(ii) the State of Hawaii; and''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)(E), by adding at the end the 
                following:
                            ``(v) Authority of commissioner.--The 
                        Commissioner of Reclamation may, at the 
                        discretion of the Commissioner--
                                    ``(I) waive any cost-share 
                                requirements to address emergency 
                                situations; and
                                    ``(II) prioritize projects based on 
                                the ability of the projects to 
                                expeditiously yield water supply 
                                benefits during periods of drought.''; 
                                and
            (2) in subsection (e), by striking ``$200,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$300,000,000''.

SEC. 111. COLORADO RIVER BASIN SYSTEM WATER.

    (a) In General.--As soon as practicable after the date of enactment 
of this Act, consistent with the purposes of section 9504 of the 
Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (42 U.S.C. 10364), the 
Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this section as the 
``Secretary'') shall fund or participate in pilot projects to increase 
Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the initial units of 
Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs, as authorized by the first 
section of the Act of April 11, 1956 (43 U.S.C. 620), to address the 
effects of historic drought conditions.
    (b) Administration.--Pilot projects under this section shall be 
funded through--
            (1) grants by the Secretary to public entities that use 
        water from the Colorado River Basin for municipal purposes, for 
        projects that are implemented by 1 or more non-Federal 
        entities; or
            (2) grants or other appropriate financial agreements to 
        provide additional funds for renewing or implementing water 
        conservation agreements that are in existence on the date of 
        enactment of this Act.
    (c) Upper Colorado River Basin Fund.--Funds in the Upper Colorado 
River Basin Fund established by section 5 of the Colorado River Storage 
Project Act (43 U.S.C. 620d) shall not be used to carry out this 
section.

SEC. 112. EFFECT ON STATE LAWS.

    Nothing in this Act preempts any State law in effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act, including area of origin and other water rights 
protections.

SEC. 113. KLAMATH BASIN WATER SUPPLY.

    The Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000 (Public Law 
106-498; 114 Stat. 2221) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 4 through 6 as sections 5 
        through 7, respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after section 3 the following:

``SEC. 4. WATER MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING ACTIVITIES.

    ``The Secretary is authorized to engage in activities, including 
entering into agreements and contracts, or otherwise making financial 
assistance available, to reduce water consumption or demand, or to 
restore ecosystems (including tribal fishery resources held in trust) 
in the Klamath Basin watershed, consistent with collaborative 
agreements for environmental restoration and settlements of water 
rights claims.''.

SEC. 114. TERMINATION OF AUTHORITIES.

    (a) Emergency Projects.--The authority under section 103 expires on 
the date on which the Governor of the State suspends the state of 
drought emergency declaration.
    (b) Other Authority.--The authority under sections 104, 105, and 
106 shall expire in a State or area on the earlier of--
            (1) the date on which the emergency drought declaration for 
        the State or area is withdrawn; or
            (2) the date on which the Secretary of Agriculture suspends 
        the natural disaster declaration issued under section 321(a) of 
        the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
        1961(a)) for drought or an agricultural disaster for the State 
        or area.

                 TITLE II--FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE

SEC. 201. TREATMENT OF DROUGHT UNDER THE ROBERT T. STAFFORD DISASTER 
              RELIEF AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE ACT.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the term ``major disaster'' (as defined in section 102 
        of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122)) includes drought, yet no 
        drought in the 30 years preceding the date of enactment of this 
        Act has been declared by the President to be a major disaster 
        in any of the States in accordance with section 401 of that Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5170);
            (2) a major drought shall be eligible to be declared a 
        major disaster or state of emergency by the President on the 
        request of the Governor of any State;
            (3) droughts are natural disasters that do occur, and while 
        of a different type of impact, the scale of the impact of a 
        major drought can be equivalent to other disasters that have 
        been declared by the President to be a major disaster under the 
        Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); and
            (4) droughts have wide-ranging and long-term impacts on 
        ecosystem health, agriculture production, permanent crops, 
        forests, waterways, air quality, public health, wildlife, 
        employment, communities, State and national parks, and other 
        natural resources of a State and the people of that State that 
        have significant value.
    (b) Federal Emergency Assistance.--Section 502(a) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5192(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting a semicolon; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) provide disaster unemployment assistance in 
        accordance with section 410;
            ``(10) provide emergency nutrition and other assistance in 
        accordance with section 412; and
            ``(11) provide crisis counseling assistance in accordance 
        with section 416.''.
                                                       Calendar No. 344

113th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2198

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and 
   the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to take 
actions to provide additional water supplies and disaster assistance to 
 the State of California and other Western States due to drought, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             April 2, 2014

            Read the second time and placed on the calendar
```