Review – Bills Introduced – 4-30-26

 Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session and preparing to depart for their weeklong Mother’s Day celebration, there were 137 bills introduced. Three of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog: 

HR 8595 Making appropriations for national security, Department of State, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, and for other purposes. Diaz-Balart, Mario [Rep.-R-FL-26] 

HR 8609 To support research, development, and other activities to develop innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes. Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6] 

S 4453 A bill to require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that the information technology and cybersecurity and information security systems of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior are interoperable, and for other purposes. Schiff, Adam B. [Sen.-D-CA] 

Space Geek Legislation  

I would like to mention one bill under my limited Space Geek coverage in this blog: 

H Res 1242 Supporting the first Friday of May as "National Space Day" in recognition of the significant positive impact the aerospace community has and will continue to have on the United States of America. Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36] 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th Congress, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-4-30-26 - subscription required. 

Chemical Transportation Incidents – Week of 3-28-26

Reporting Background 

See this post for explanation, with the most recent update here (removed from paywall). 

Data from PHMSA’s online database of transportation related chemical incidents that have been reported to the agency. 

Incidents Summary  

• Number of incidents – 495 (462 highway, 28 air, 5 rail, 0 water) 

• Serious incidents – 2 (2 Bulk release, 0 evacuation, 1 injury, 0 death, 0 major artery closed, 1 fire/explosion, 42 no release)  

• Largest container involved – 33,710-gal  Railcar {Petroleum Gases, Liquefied or Liquefied Petroleum Gas} Vapor line and liquid line valves partially open and closure plugs not properly secured. 

• Largest amount spilled – 225-gal Plastic IBC {Corrosive Liquid, Acidic, Inorganic, N.O.S.} Forklift strike. 

• Total amount reported spilled in all incidents – 1527.1-gal 

NOTE: Links above are to Form 5800.1 for the described incidents. 

Most Interesting Chemical: Sodium Bifluoride, Solid: Sodium bifluoride is a white crystalline solid. It is soluble in water. It is corrosive to tissue. It is used as a preservative for anatomical and zoological specimens, in metal plating, and for many other uses. (Source: CameoChemicals.NOAA.gov).  

OPM Sends Employee Suitability Final Rule to OMB

 Yesterday, the OMB’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs announced that it had received a final rule from the Office of Personnel Management on “Suitability and Fitness”. The notice of proposed rulemaking was published on June 3rd, 2025. 

According to the Spring 2025 Unified Agenda entry for this rulemaking: 

“The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plans to finalize its rulemaking to amend the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative criteria for determining suitability or fitness.  The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve the rigor and timeliness by which OPM and agencies vet individuals for risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service, and to make clear that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.” 

This rulemaking would continue the Administration’s assault on civil service protections for federal employees in their attempt to ‘drain the swamp’. 

House Accepts Senate Amendment to HR 7147 – FY 2026 DHS Spending

This afternoon the House took up, yet again, HR 7147, the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, dealing with the FY 2026 funding for DHS. They effectively withdrew their amended version that had been approved on March 27th, 2026, by a near party-line vote. Instead, the House voted (voice vote) to accept the Senate amendment of March 26th (actual Senate vote took place early on the 27th) that funded the Department except for the immigration enforcement activities of ICE and CBP. The bill now goes to the President for signing, probably this evening. 

While voice votes typically mean that there is widespread support (or at least minimal opposition) for legislation, that may not really be the case here. As with the Senate’s early morning vote there were only a limited number of members on the floor (see reporting here by the Washington Post) when the voice vote was held. This may have been done (in both the House and Senate) to provide cover to Republican members that were conflicted by their opposition to the lack of ICE/CBP funding and their desire to support the President. ICE and CBP continue to receive funding from the earlier Big Beautiful Bill and potentially a second reconciliation bill that the President has requested to be on his desk by June 1st. 

Review – 6 Advisories and 2 Updates Published – 4-30-26

Today CISA’s NCCIC-ICS published six control system security advisories for products from ABB. They also updated two advisories for products from Mitsubishi. 

I would like to remind folks that the Department of Homeland Security (including, of course, CISA’s NCCIC-ICS, the authors of these advisories) has still not been funded for FY 2026 operations since January. The Administration has repurposed funds (that were previously allocated for other uses passed September 30th, 2025) into paychecks for the people still working during this ‘limited shutdown’. Those funds have been expected to run out on or about May 1st. CISA’s cybersecurity operations are expected to continue; paychecks probably not until Congress works out this fiasco. 

Advisories  

Ability Symphony Advisory - This advisory discusses four vulnerabilities in the ABB Ability Symphony Plus Engineering product. 

AWIN Advisory - This advisory describes three vulnerabilities in the ABB AWIN Gateways products. 

Ability OPTIMAX Advisory - This advisory describes an incorrect implementation of authentication algorithm vulnerability in the ABB Ability OPTIMAX products. 

Edgenius Advisory - This advisory describes an authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in the ABB Edgenius Management Portal. 

PCM600 Advisory - This advisory discusses the Zip-Slip vulnerability in the ABB PCM600 product. 

System 800xA Advisory - This advisory describes an improper validation of specified quantity in input vulnerability in the ABB System 800xA, and Symphony Plus IEC 61850 products. 

Updates  

FA Products Update - This update provides additional information on the FA Products advisory that was originally published on April 25th, 2025, and most recently updated on February 3rd, 2026. 

MELSEC iQ-F Series Update - This update provides additional information on the MELSEC iQ-F Series advisory that was originally published on March 3rd, 2026. 

For more information on these advisories, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/6-advisories-and-2-updates-published-cc0 - subscription required.