The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS,
http://www.drought.gov/drought/) was created in 2006 to support an effort to assess, mitigate and forecast the effects of drought in the United States. Led by the National Weather Service and other weather and climate programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the NIDIS was first formed by the National Integrated Drought Information System Act of 2006, and will continue to operate with funding from the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2013.
The
2013 NIDIS Reauthorization Act renews this initiative largely without modification. NOAA and its partner organizations are directed to collect and integrate information on drought indicators and impacts on local, regional and national levels; communicate drought forecasts and impact assessments to all public and private entities that need them for preparedness and planning; and coordinate federal research and monitoring for a drought early warning system. The Director of NOAA must also report to House and Senate science committees on the implementation of the program, plans for future development, and identified needs for predictive capability.
The 2013 bill authorizes $13.5 million in funding each year for NIDIS for the next four years (2014-2018); this is roughly equivalent to 2009 – 2010 funding levels ($13 million in 2009, $14 million in 2010) but represents a significant decrease from 2012-2013 levels ($16 million). It is sponsored by Ben Lujan (D-NM) and Lamar Smith (R-TX), and was reported by committee to the House on December 5th, 2013.