Definition: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Input: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Drought Information Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF NATIONAL INTEGRATED DROUGHT INFORMATION
SYSTEM.

(a) System Amendments.--Section 3 of the National Integrated
Drought Information System Act of 2006 (15 U.S.C. 313d) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by inserting ''and continue to support'' after
''establish''; and
(B) 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''; and
(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 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
assessments on both national and regional levels;
''(2) communicate drought forecasts, drought conditions,
and drought impacts on an ongoing basis to--
''(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
conditions;
''(4) coordinate, and integrate as practicable, Federal
research in support of a drought early warning system;
''(5) build upon existing forecasting and assessment
programs and partnerships, such as partnerships with--
''(A) the Regional Integrated Sciences and
Assessments program of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration;
''(B) Cooperative Extension System offices of the
Department of Agriculture;
''(C) the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture;
''(D) the Office of the Chief Economist of the
Department of Agriculture;
''(E) the Farm Service Agency; and
''(F) other Federal agencies or departments that
monitor and disseminate weather and climate
information; and
''(6) continue ongoing research 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.''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 4 of such Act (15
U.S.C. 313d note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ''and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ''; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
''(7) $14,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through
2017.''.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 540 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Commerce for
Oceans and Atmosphere shall submit to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives a report on the National Integrated Drought
Information System.
(2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An assessment of the implementation of the
National Integrated Drought Information System,
including an assessment of how the information,
forecasts, and assessments produced by such system are
utilized in drought policy planning and response
activities.
(B) Specific plans for continued development of the
system, including future milestones.
(C) An identification of research, monitoring, and
forecasting needs to enhance the predictive capability
of--
(i) drought early warnings;
(ii) the length and severity of droughts;
and
(iii) the contribution of weather events to
reducing the severity or ending drought
conditions.
(D) A list of persons in the private sector with
whom the Under Secretary collaborates to implement the
National Integrated Drought Information System.
(E) A description of the outreach activities
conducted by the Under Secretary regarding the National
Integrated Drought Information System.
(3) Consultation.--In developing the report required by
paragraph (1), the Under Secretary shall consult with relevant
Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local government
agencies, research institutions, and the private sector.
Output:
Drought Information Act of 2012 - Amends the National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006 to specify that: (1) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere shall continue to support the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Program, and (2) the program's purpose shall be to better inform and provide for more timely decisionmaking to reduce drought related impacts and costs. Revises NIDIS functions to require the NIDIS to, among other things: (1) provide certain information, forecasts, and assessments described in the Act on both national and regional levels; (2) build upon existing forecasting and assessment programs and partnerships, such as those with specified programs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), extension system and economist offices of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Farm Service Agency; and (3) continue ongoing research activities related to drought and the role of extreme weather events and climate variability in drought.

Requires the Under Secretary to provide a report to Congress concerning the NIDIS Program that includes a list of persons in the private sector with whom the Under Secretary collaborates on NIDIS implementation and a description of NIDIS outreach activities.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act through FY2017.