H. R. 2431 
One Hundred Thirteenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE SECOND SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 
the third day of January, two thousand and fourteen 
An Act 
To reauthorize the National Integrated Drought Information System. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Integrated Drought 
Information System Reauthorization Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. NIDIS PROGRAM AMENDMENTS. 
Section 3 of the National Integrated Drought Information 
System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting before the period at 
the end the following: ‘‘to better inform and provide for more 
timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and 
costs’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.—The National Integrated Drought 
Information System shall— 
‘‘(1) provide an effective drought early warning system 
that— 
‘‘(A) collects and integrates information on the key 
indicators of drought and drought impacts in order to make 
usable, reliable, and timely forecasts of drought, including 
assessments of the severity of drought conditions and 
impacts; and 
‘‘(B) provides such information, forecasts, and assess-
ments 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 condi-
tions; 
‘‘(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 pro-
grams and partnerships, including through the designation of
H. R. 2431—2 
one or more cooperative institutes to assist with National 
Integrated Drought Information System functions; and 
‘‘(6) continue ongoing research and monitoring activities 
related to drought, including research activities relating to 
length, severity, and impacts of drought and the role of extreme 
weather events and climate variability in drought.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months after the date 
of enactment of the National Integrated Drought Information 
System Reauthorization Act of 2014, the Under Secretary shall 
transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, 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 uti-
lized 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 fore-
casting 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 para-
graph (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with relevant 
Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government agencies, 
research institutions, and the private sector.’’. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 313d note) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
Act $13,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018.’’. 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.