Home > 106th Congressional Bills > S. 1455 (enr) To enhance protections against fraud in the offering of financial assistance for college education, and for other purposes. [Enrolled bill] ...S. 1455 (enr) To enhance protections against fraud in the offering of financial assistance for college education, and for other purposes. [Enrolled bill] ...
Drought Policy Action Plan that--
(A)(i) delineates and integrates responsibilities
for activities relating to drought (including drought
preparedness, mitigation, research, risk management,
training, and emergency relief) among Federal agencies;
and
(ii) ensures that those activities are coordinated
with the activities of the States, local governments,
Indian tribes, and neighboring countries;
(B) is consistent with--
(i) this Act and other applicable Federal
laws; and
(ii) the laws and policies of the States
for water management;
(C) is integrated with drought management programs
of the States, Indian tribes, local governments,
watershed groups, and private entities; and
(D) avoids duplicating Federal, State, tribal,
local, watershed, and private drought preparedness and
monitoring programs in existence on the date of
enactment of this Act;
(2) evaluate Federal drought-related programs in existence
on the date of enactment of this Act and make recommendations
to Congress and the President on means of eliminating--
(A) discrepancies between the goals of the programs
and actual service delivery;
(B) duplication among programs; and
(C) any other circumstances that interfere with the
effective operation of the programs;
(3) make recommendations to the President, Congress, and
appropriate Federal Agencies on--
(A) the establishment of common interagency
triggers for authorizing Federal drought mitigation
programs; and
(B) improving the consistency and fairness of
assistance among Federal drought relief programs;
(4) coordinate and prioritize specific activities that will
improve the National Integrated Drought System by--
(A) taking into consideration the limited resources
for--
(i) drought monitoring, prediction, and
research activities; and
(ii) water supply forecasting; and
(B) providing for the development of an effective
drought information delivery system that--
(i) communicates drought conditions and
impacts to--
(I) decisionmakers at the Federal,
regional, State, tribal, and local
levels of government;
(II) the private sector; and
(III) the public; and
(ii) includes near-real-time data,
information, and products developed at the
Federal, regional, State, tribal, and local
levels of government that reflect regional and
State differences in drought conditions;
(5) encourage and facilitate the development of drought
preparedness plans under subtitle C, including establishing the
guidelines under sections 121(c) and 122(a);
(6) based on a review of drought preparedness plans,
develop and make available to the public drought planning
models to reduce water resource conflicts relating to water
conservation and droughts;
(7) develop and coordinate public awareness activities to
provide the public with access to understandable, and
informative materials on drought, including--
(A) explanations of the causes of drought, the
impacts of drought, and the damages from drought;
(B) descriptions of the value and benefits of land
stewardship to reduce the impacts of drought and to
protect the environment;
(C) clear instructions for appropriate responses to
drought, including water conservation, water reuse, and
detection and elimination of water leaks;
(D) information on State and local laws applicable
to drought; and
(E) information on the assistance available to
resource-dependent businesses and industries during a
drought; and
(8) establish operating procedures for the Council.
(b) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the Council shall
consult with groups affected by drought emergencies, including groups
that represent--
(1) agricultural production, wildlife, and fishery
interests;
(2) forestry and fire management interests;
(3) the credit community;
(4) rural and urban water associations;
(5) environmental interests;
(6) engineering and construction interests;
(7) the portion of the science community that is concerned
with drought and climatology;
(8) resource-dependent businesses and other private
entities (including the recreation and tourism industries); and
(9) watershed groups.
(c) Agency Roles and Responsibilities.--
(1) Designation of lead agencies.--
(A) Department of commerce.--The Department of
Commerce shall be the lead agency for purposes of
implementing subsection (a)(4).
(B) Departments of the army and the interior.--The
Department of the Army and the Department of the
Interior shall jointly be the lead agency for purposes
of implementing--
(i) paragraphs (5) and (6) of section
subsection (a); and
(ii) section 122.
(C) Department of agriculture.--The Department of
Agriculture, in cooperation with the lead agencies
designated under subparagraphs (A) and (B), shall be
the lead agency for purposes of implementing section
121.
(2) Cooperation from other federal agencies.--The head of
each Federal agency shall cooperate as appropriate with the
lead agencies in carrying out any duties under this Act.
(d) Reports to Congress.--
(1) Annual report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 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 title.
(B) Inclusions.--
(i) In general.--The annual report shall
include a summary of drought preparedness plans
completed under sections 123 through 125.
(ii) Initial report.--The initial report
submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include
any recommendations of the Council under
paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (a).
(2) Final report.--Not later than 7 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Council shall submit to Congress a
report that recommends--
(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 advisable to carry out this title.
(b) Information From Federal Agencies.--
(1) In general.--The Council may obtain directly 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 Secretary or the 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 determines 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 Government.
(d) Gifts.--The Council may accept, use, and dispose 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 facility.
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 compensation.
(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
performance 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 2004 through 2011.
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 Secretary shall establish an office to be known as the
``National Office of Drought Preparedness'', which shall be under the
jurisdiction of the Under Secretary, to provide assistance to the
Council in carrying out this title.
SEC. 112. DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE.
(a) Appointment.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary shall appoint a
Director of the Office under sections 3371 through 3375 of
title 5, United States Code.
(2) Qualifications.--The Director shall be a person who has
experience in--
(A) public administration; and
(B) drought mitigation or drought management.
(b) Powers.--The Director 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. OFFICE STAFF.
(a) In General.--The Office shall have at least 5 full-time staff,
including the detailees detailed under subsection (b)(1).
(b) Detailees.--
(1) Required detailees.--There shall be detailed to the
Office, on a nonreimbursable basis--
(A) by the Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, 1 employee of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency with expertise in emergency planning;
(B) by the Secretary of Commerce, 1 employee of the
Department of Commerce with experience in drought
monitoring;
(C) by the Secretary of the Interior, 1 employee of
the Bureau of Reclamation with experience in water
planning; and
(D) by the Secretary of the Army, 1 employee of the
Army Corps of Engineers with experience in water
planning.
(2) Additional detailees.--
(A) In general.--In addition to any employees
detailed under paragraph (1), any other employees of
the Federal Government may be detailed to the Office.
(B) Reimbursement.--An employee detailed under
subparagraph (A) shall be detailed without
reimbursement, unless the Secretary, on the
recommendation of the Director, determines that
reimbursement is appropriate.
(3) Civil service status.--The detail of an employee under
paragraph (1) or (2) 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 in the Treasury of the
United States 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, watershed groups, and critical service
providers for the development and implementation of drought
preparedness plans under sections 123 through 125;
(2) providing to States, Indian tribes, local governments,
watershed groups, and critical service providers the Federal
share, as determined by the Secretary, in consultation 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 governments,
watershed groups, and critical service providers in the
development of mitigation measures to address environmental,
economic, and human health and safety issues relating to
drought;
(4) expanding the technology transfer of drought and water
conservation strategies and innovative water supply techniques;
(5) developing post-drought evaluations and
recommendations; and
(6) supplementing, if necessary, the costs of implementing
actions under section 102(a)(4).
(c) Guidelines.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with the
non-Federal co-chair and with the concurrence of the Council,
shall promulgate guidelines to implement this section.
(2) General requirements.--The guidelines shall--
(A) ensure the distribution of amounts from the
Fund within a reasonable period of time;
(B) take into consideration regional differences;
(C) take into consideration all impacts of drought
in a balanced manner;
(D) prohibit the use of amounts from the Fund for
Federal salaries that are not directly related to the
provision of drought assistance;
(E) require that amounts from the Fund provided to
States, local governments, watershed groups, and
critical service providers under subsection (b)(1) be
coordinated with and managed by the State in which the
local governments, watershed groups, or critical
service providers are located, consistent with the
drought preparedness priorities and relevant water
management plans in the State;
(F) require that amounts from the Fund provided to
Indian tribes under subsection (b)(1) be used to
implement plans that are, to the maximum extent
practicable--
(i) coordinated with any State in which
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