The County's federal advocates from Alcade & Fay provided the following report:
H.R. 5823, the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, was introduced by Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA-2) on February 10th, 2020. Congressman Richmond chairs the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation. Congressman Richmond was joined by a bipartisan group of fourteen original cosponsors, including the ranking Republicans on the full Committee and Subcommittee. There are no California Representatives currently co-sponsoring the legislation. Immediately after its introduction, on February 12, it was marked up and ordered reported from Committee.
The bill, if enacted, will establish a grant program at the Department of Homeland Security for States to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats to state and local information systems. According to the press release, the specific features of the legislation are:
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Establishes a $400 million DHS grant program that incentivizes States to increase their own cybersecurity funding.
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Requires DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) develop a strategy to improve the cybersecurity of State, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
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Requires State, local, tribal, and territorial governments develop comprehensive Cybersecurity Plans to guide use of grant dollars.
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Establishes a State and Local Cybersecurity Resiliency Committee so State, local, tribal, and territorial governments can advise CISA on their cybersecurity needs.”
In the press release, Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2), an original co-sponsor, said, “For too long, our State and local governments have had to fend for themselves as foreign adversaries and cyber criminals have targeted their networks. The State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act will provide long overdue resources and support to State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments across the country whose cyber defenses are outmatched by sophisticated adversaries.”
Attachment A is a fact sheet on the bill, provided by the House Committee on Homeland Security. |