Bill > S3912

This bill, titled the "NIDIS Reauthorization Act of 2026," aims to update and extend the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) Act of 2006, which is a program focused on drought monitoring and forecasting. Key provisions include enhancing NIDIS's capabilities by incorporating research and tools for flash droughts, improving predictions for subseasonal to seasonal precipitation and temperature, and continuing research into drought prediction, length, severity, and impacts, including the role of weather events and short-term climate variability. The bill also mandates the advancement and deployment of new technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning for drought monitoring and forecasting, the use of existing observational networks, refinement of drought indicators, improvement of decision support products, optimization of federal data and resources, and investigation of data gaps such as snowpack and soil moisture. Furthermore, it emphasizes collaboration with entities within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the establishment of partnerships, like with the National Mesonet Program, to ensure coordinated data collection. The bill also requires the development of a plan to integrate existing NOAA drought products and advanced forecasting models into probabilistic forecasts and authorizes specific appropriations for NIDIS from fiscal year 2026 through 2030, starting at $15 million and increasing annually.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3912/all-info