S 2083 Introduced – Port Cybersecurity

Earlier this month Sen. Harris (D,CA) introduced S 2083, the Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act of 2017. This bill is essentially identical to the version of HR 3101 that was passed in the House last month.

While Harris is not a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (the committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration), her co-sponsor, Sen Sullivan (R,AK) is. This means that there is a chance that the Committee could take up the bill.

It is unusual for companion legislation to be introduced this late in the process. It probably means that Harris does not think that there is a reasonable chance that the Senate will take up HR 3101, even though there was bipartisan support for that bill in the House. That is not unusual, the House passes a lot of bills that are never taken up by the Senate; the Senate is slower to pass legislation.

If this bill is marked up by the Commerce Committee there will be a better chance that it will be taken up by the whole Senate. Unless there are significant amendments made to the bill, there is a good chance that the House would accept the Senate version of the bill and not require it to go to conference.

It is unlikely that this bill will receive any consideration this year.