---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 5856"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "5856"
heading: "Improvements to United States Drought Monitor"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/5856"
units:
  - "Chapter 88 — Research"
  - "Subchapter III — National Agricultural Weather Information System"
---

# §5856. Improvements to United States Drought Monitor

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-6) shall coordinate with the [Director](/usc/7/5844.md?p=a-3) of the National Drought Mitigation Center and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enhance the collection of data to improve the accuracy of the United States Drought Monitor.
- (b) **Utilization—** To the maximum extent practicable, the [Secretary](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-6) shall utilize a consistent source or sources of data for [programs](/usc/7/5844.md?p=a-1) that are based on drought or precipitation indices, such as the livestock forage disaster [program](/usc/7/5844.md?p=a-1) established under [section 9081(c) of this title](/usc/7/9081.md?p=c) or policies or plans of insurance established under the Federal Crop Insurance Act ([7 U.S.C. 1501](/usc/7/1501.md) et seq.).
- (c) **Review—** Not later than 1 year after December 20, 2018, the [Secretary](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-6) shall conduct a review of—
  - (1) the types of data currently utilized by the United States Drought Monitor;
  - (2) the geographic coverage and density of existing data collection sites; and
  - (3) other meteorological or climatological data that is being collected by other Federal agencies, [State](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-7) and local governments, and non-Federal entities that could be utilized by the United States Drought Monitor.
- (d) **Improvements—**
  - (1) **In general—** Upon the completion of the review prescribed in [subsection (c)](#c), the [Secretary](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-6) shall—
    - (A) seek to expand the collection of relevant data in [States](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-7) or geographic areas where coverage is currently lacking as compared to other [States](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-7) or geographic areas; and
    - (B) to the maximum extent practicable, develop standards to allow the integration of meteorological or climatological data into the United States Drought Monitor derived from—
      - (i) in-situ soil moisture profile measuring devices;
      - (ii) citizen science (as defined in the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act ([15 U.S.C. 3724](/usc/15/3724.md))), including data from the Cooperative Observer [Program](/usc/7/5844.md?p=a-1) of the National Weather Service; and
      - (iii) other Federal agencies, [State](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-7) and local governments, and non-Federal entities.
  - (2) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is to be authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/7/5801.md?p=b-6) to carry out this subsection $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–334, title XII, § 12512, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4995.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Federal Crop Insurance Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is subtitle A of title V of act Feb. 16, 1938, ch. 30, 52 Stat. 72, which is classified generally to subchapter I (§ 1501 et seq.) of chapter 36 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1501 of this title and Tables.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, and not as part of subtitle C of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 which comprises this subchapter.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 2 of Pub. L. 115–334, set out as a note under section 9001 of this title.