US HB5610

Extends the U.S. Drought Monitor improvement program authorization from 2023 to 2030 by amending the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an interagency working group within 180 days to improve data availability and reliability for the U.S. Drought Monitor, with at least 13 members from USDA, NOAA, Interior, and state mesonet programs

Working group must submit recommendations within 1 year on incorporating additional in-situ data, removing barriers to existing federal datasets, and developing methodology for vetting remote sensing and modeling products

Requires the Farm Service Agency and Forest Service to enter a memorandum of understanding within 60 days of the report to align drought response activities and provide consistent information to grazing permittees and stakeholders

Working group terminates 90 days after submitting its report; Secretary of Agriculture must implement recommendations within 180 days of receiving the report