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•HR 2419 EH1S 
drought to minimize any risks and impacts of 
drought. 
(9) 
NEIGHBORING
COUNTRY.—The 
term 
‘‘neighboring country’’ means Canada and Mexico. 
(10) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 
National Office of Drought Preparedness established 
under this section. 
(11) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(12) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the sev-
eral States, the District of Columbia, American 
Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
and the United States Virgin Islands. 
(13) TRIGGER.—The term ‘‘trigger’’ means the 
thresholds or criteria that must be satisfied before 
mitigation or emergency assistance may be provided 
to an area— 
(A) in which drought is emerging; or 
(B) that is experiencing a drought. 
(14) UNDER
SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Under 
Secretary’’ means the Under Secretary of Agri-
culture for Natural Resources and Environment. 
(15) WATERSHED.—The term ‘‘watershed’’ 
means a region or area with common hydrology, an
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
area drained by a waterway that drains into a lake 
or reservoir, the total area above a given point on 
a stream that contributes water to the flow at that 
point, or the topographic dividing line from which 
surface streams flow in two different directions. In 
no case shall a watershed be larger than a river 
basin. 
(16) WATERSHED GROUP.—The term ‘‘water-
shed group’’ means a group of individuals, formally 
recognized by the appropriate State or States, who 
represent the broad scope of relevant interests with-
in a watershed and who work together in a collabo-
rative manner to jointly plan the management of the 
natural resources contained within the watershed. 
(b) EFFECT OF SECTION.—This section does not af-
fect— 
(1) the authority of a State to allocate quan-
tities of water under the jurisdiction of the State; or 
(2) any State water rights established as of the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(c) NATIONAL DROUGHT COUNCIL.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture a council 
to be known as the ‘‘National Drought Council’’. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(A) COMPOSITION.—The Council shall be 
composed of— 
(i) the Secretary (or the designee of 
the Secretary); 
(ii) the Secretary of Commerce (or the 
designee of the Secretary of Commerce); 
(iii) the Secretary of the Army (or the 
designee of the Secretary of the Army); 
(iv) the Secretary of the Interior (or 
the designee of the Secretary of the Inte-
rior); 
(v) the Director of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency (or the des-
ignee of the Director); 
(vi) the Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (or the designee 
of the Administrator); 
(vii) 4 members appointed by the Sec-
retary, in coordination with the National 
Governors Association, each of whom shall 
be the Governor of a State (or the designee 
of the Governor) and who collectively shall 
represent the geographic diversity of the 
Nation;
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(viii) 1 member appointed by the Sec-
retary, in coordination with the National 
Association of Counties; 
(ix) 1 member appointed by the Sec-
retary, in coordination with the United 
States Conference of Mayors; 
(x) 1 member appointed by the Sec-
retary of the Interior, in coordination with 
Indian tribes, to represent the interests of 
tribal governments; and 
(xi) 1 member appointed by the Sec-
retary, in coordination with the National 
Association of Conservation Districts, to 
represent local soil and water conservation 
districts. 
(B) DATE
OF
APPOINTMENT.—The ap-
pointment of each member of the Council shall 
be made not later than 120 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(3) TERM; VACANCIES.— 
(A) TERM.—A non-Federal member of the 
Council appointed under paragraph (2) shall be 
appointed for a term of two years. 
(B) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Coun-
cil—
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(i) shall not affect the powers of the 
Council; and 
(ii) shall be filled in the same manner 
as the original appointment was made. 
(C) TERMS OF MEMBERS FILLING VACAN-
CIES.—Any member appointed to fill a vacancy 
occurring before the expiration of the term for 
which the member’s predecessor was appointed 
shall be appointed only for the remainder of 
that term. 
(4) MEETINGS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall meet 
at the call of the co-chairs. 
(B) FREQUENCY.—The Council shall meet 
at least semiannually. 
(5) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of 
the Council shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser 
number may hold hearings or conduct other busi-
ness. 
(6) COUNCIL LEADERSHIP.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—There shall be a Fed-
eral co-chair and non-Federal co-chair of the 
Council. 
(B) APPOINTMENT.—
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(i) FEDERAL
CO-CHAIR.—The Sec-
retary shall be Federal co-chair. 
(ii) NON-FEDERAL
CO-CHAIR.—The 
non-Federal members of the Council shall 
select, on a biannual basis, a non-Federal 
co-chair of the Council from among the 
members appointed under paragraph (2). 
(7) DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Of-
fice shall serve as Secretary of the Council. 
(B) DUTIES.—The Director of the Office 
shall serve the interests of all members of the 
Council. 
(d) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Council shall— 
(A) not later than one year after the date 
of the first meeting of the Council, develop a 
comprehensive National Drought Policy Action 
Plan that— 
(i)(I) delineates and integrates re-
sponsibilities for activities relating to 
drought (including drought preparedness, 
mitigation, research, risk management, 
training, and emergency relief) among 
Federal agencies; and
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(II) ensures that those activities are 
coordinated with the activities of the 
States, local governments, Indian tribes, 
and neighboring countries; 
(ii) is consistent with— 
(I) this Act and other applicable 
Federal laws; and 
(II) the laws and policies of the 
States for water management; 
(iii) is integrated with drought man-
agement programs of the States, Indian 
tribes, 
local 
governments, 
watershed 
groups, and private entities; and 
(iv) avoids duplicating Federal, State, 
tribal, 
local, 
watershed, 
and 
private 
drought preparedness and monitoring pro-
grams in existence on the date of enact-
ment of this Act; 
(B) evaluate Federal drought-related pro-
grams in existence on the date of enactment of 
this Act and make recommendations to Con-
gress and the President on means of elimi-
nating— 
(i) discrepancies between the goals of 
the programs and actual service delivery;
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(ii) duplication among programs; and 
(iii) any other circumstances that 
interfere with the effective operation of the 
programs; 
(C) make recommendations to the Presi-
dent, Congress, and appropriate Federal Agen-
cies on— 
(i) the establishment of common inter-
agency triggers for authorizing Federal 
drought mitigation programs; and 
(ii) improving the consistency and 
fairness of assistance among Federal 
drought relief programs; 
(D) encourage and facilitate the develop-
ment of drought preparedness plans under sub-
title C, including establishing the guidelines 
under this section; 
(E) based on a review of drought prepared-
ness plans, develop and make available to the 
public drought planning models to reduce water 
resource conflicts relating to water conservation 
and droughts; 
(F) develop and coordinate public aware-
ness activities to provide the public with access
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
to understandable, and informative materials on 
drought, including— 
(i) explanations of the causes of 
drought, the impacts of drought, and the 
damages from drought; 
(ii) descriptions of the value and bene-
fits of land stewardship to reduce the im-
pacts of drought and to protect the envi-
ronment; 
(iii) clear instructions for appropriate 
responses to drought, including water con-
servation, water reuse, and detection and 
elimination of water leaks; 
(iv) information on State and local 
laws applicable to drought; and 
(v) opportunities for assistance to re-
source-dependent businesses and industries 
in times of drought; and 
(G) establish operating procedures for the 
Council. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Council shall consult with groups af-
fected by drought emergencies. 
(3) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 
(A) ANNUAL REPORT.—
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the first meeting of 
the Council, and annually thereafter, the 
Council shall submit to Congress a report 
on the activities carried out under this sec-
tion. 
(ii) INCLUSIONS.— 
(I) IN
GENERAL.—The annual 
report shall include a summary of 
drought preparedness plans. 
(II) INITIAL REPORT.—The ini-
tial report submitted under subpara-
graph (A) shall include any rec-
ommendations of the Council. 
(B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than seven 
years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Council shall submit to Congress a report 
that recommends— 
(i) amendments to this section; and 
(ii) whether the Council should con-
tinue. 
(e) POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.— 
(1) HEARINGS.—The Council may hold hear-
ings, meet and act at any time and place, take any
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•HR 2419 EH1S 
testimony and receive any evidence that the Council 
considers advisable to carry out this section. 
(2) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Council may ob-
tain directly from any Federal agency any in-
formation that the Council considers necessary 
to carry out this section. 
(B) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in clause (ii), on request of the Secretary 
or the non-Federal co-chair of the Council, 
the head of a Federal agency may provide 
information to the Council. 
(ii) LIMITATION.—The head of a Fed-
eral agency shall not provide any informa-
tion to the Council that the Federal agency 
head determines the disclosure of which 
may cause harm to national security inter-
ests. 
(3) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Council may use 
the United States mail in the same manner and 
under the same conditions as other agencies of the 
Federal Government. 
(4) GIFTS.—The Council may accept, use, and 
dispose of gifts or donations of services or property.