(A) amendments to this Act; and
(B) whether the Council should continue.
SEC. 103. POWERS OF THE COUNCIL.
(a) HEARINGS.—The Council may hold hearings,
meet and act at any time and place, take any testimony
and receive any evidence that the Council considers advis-
able to carry out this title.
(b) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Council may obtain di-
rectly from any Federal agency any information that
the Council considers necessary to carry out this
title.
(2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), on request of the Federal co-
chair or non-Federal co-chair, the head of a
Federal agency may provide information to the
Council.
(B) LIMITATION.—The head of a Federal
agency shall not provide any information to the
Council that the Federal agency head deter-
mines the disclosure of which may cause harm
to national security interests.
(c) 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 Govern-
ment.
(d) GIFTS.—The Council may accept, use, and dis-
pose of gifts or donations of services or property.
(e) FEDERAL FACILITIES.—If the Council proposes
the use of a Federal facility for the purposes of carrying
out this title, the Council shall solicit and consider the
input of the Federal agency with jurisdiction over the fa-
cility.
SEC. 104. COUNCIL PERSONNEL MATTERS.
(a) COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS.—
(1) NON-FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of
the Council who is not an officer or employee of the
Federal Government shall serve without compensa-
tion.
(2) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—A member of the
Council who is an officer or employee of the United
States shall serve without compensation in addition
to the compensation received for services of the
member as an officer or employee of the Federal
Government.
(b) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—A member of the Council
shall be allowed travel expenses at rates authorized for an
employee of an agency under subchapter I of chapter 57
of title 5, United States Code, while away from the home
or regular place of business of the member in the perform-
ance of the duties of the Council.
SEC. 105. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
this title $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2003 through
2010.
SEC. 106. TERMINATION OF COUNCIL.
The Council shall terminate 8 years after the date
of enactment of this Act.
Subtitle B—National Office of
Drought Preparedness
SEC. 111. ESTABLISHMENT.
The Director shall establish directly under the Direc-
tor an office to be known as the ‘‘National Office of
Drought Preparedness’’ to provide assistance to the Coun-
cil in carrying out this title.
SEC. 112. DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE.
(a) APPOINTMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall appoint a
Director of the Office under sections 3371 through
3375 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Director of the Of-
fice shall be a person who has experience in—
(A) public administration; and
(B) drought mitigation or drought man-
agement.
(b) POWERS.—The Director of the Office may hire
such other additional personnel or contract for services
with other entities as necessary to carry out the duties
of the Office.
SEC. 113. DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—An employee of the Federal Gov-
ernment may be detailed to the Office without reimburse-
ment, unless the Federal co-chair, on the recommendation
of the Director of the Office, determines that reimburse-
ment is appropriate.
(b) CIVIL SERVICE STATUS.—The detail of an em-
ployee shall be without interruption or loss of civil service
status or privilege.
Subtitle C—Drought Preparedness
Plans
SEC. 121. DROUGHT ASSISTANCE FUND.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within
the Federal Emergency Management Agency a fund to be
known as the ‘‘Drought Assistance Fund’’.
(b) PURPOSE.—The Fund shall be used to pay the
costs of—
(1) providing technical and financial assistance
(including grants and cooperative assistance) to
States, Indian tribes, local governments, and critical
service providers for the development and implemen-
tation of drought preparedness plans under sections
123 through 125;
(2) providing to States, Indian tribes, local gov-
ernments, and critical service providers the Federal
share, as determined by the Federal co-chair, in con-
sultation with the other members of the Council, of
the cost of mitigating the overall risk and impacts
of droughts;
(3) assisting States, Indian tribes, local govern-
ments, and critical service providers in the develop-
ment of mitigation measures to address environ-
mental, economic, and human health and safety
issues relating to drought;
(4) expanding the technology transfer of
drought and water conservation strategies and inno-
vative water supply techniques;
(5) developing post-drought evaluations and
recommendations; and
(6) supplementing, if necessary, the costs of im-
plementing actions under section 102(a)(4).
(c) GUIDELINES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Federal co-chair of the
Council shall, in consultation with other members of
the Council, promulgate guidelines implementing
this section.
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The guidelines shall—
(A) ensure the distribution of amounts
from the Fund within a reasonable period of
time;
(B) take into consideration regional dif-
ferences; and
(C) prohibit the use of amounts from the
Fund for Federal salaries that are not directly
related to the provision of drought assistance.
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund such sums
as are necessary to carry out the purposes described in
subsection (b).
SEC. 122. DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS PLANS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in consultation with
the Council, shall publish guidelines for administering a
national program to provide technical and financial assist-
ance to States, Indian tribes, local governments, and crit-
ical service providers for the development, maintenance,
and implementation of drought preparedness plans.
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—To build on the experience and
avoid duplication of efforts of Federal, State, local, tribal,
and regional drought plans in existence on the date of en-