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S 2936 115th Congress Senate Science, Technology, Communications Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Environmental technology Government information and archives Intergovernmental relations Natural disasters

Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018

Introduced: May 23, 2018 Introduced by: Thune, John Republican · South Dakota See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 115th Congress ended
It never became law before the 115th Congress (2017–2018) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 23, 2018
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
May 23, 2018
Introduced in Senate
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018

This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a strategy for improving the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor by increasing the geographic resolution of rural in-situ soil moisture profile observation or other soil moisture profile measuring devices.

USDA must prioritize adding in-situ soil moisture profile monitoring stations in states that have experienced D3 (extreme drought) or D4 (exceptional drought) within any six month period from 2016 to the present.

USDA shall develop standards for:

  • the integration of data that is derived from citizen science (open collaborations through which individuals or organizations participate voluntarily in the scientific process) into the Drought Monitor models, including data from the Cooperative Observer Program of the National Weather Service; and
  • the collection of soil moisture data that is based on readily available equipment.

USDA shall direct the Farm Service Agency and the Risk Management Agency of USDA to use the Drought Monitor in the profile monitoring stations added by this bill, data from the Cooperative Observer Program, and any other applicable data in establishing loss assistance and grazing rates.

What's happening now May 23, 2018

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2936: Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-2936/
MLA
"S. 2936: Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-2936/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2936, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-2936/.
Markdown link
[S. 2936: Improved Soil Moisture and Precipitation Monitoring Act of 2018](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-S-2936/)
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