Bills Introduced – 3-5-20

Yesterday with the House and Senate preparing to head home for the weekend there were 67 bills introduced. Three of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 6096 To improve oversight by the Federal Communications Commission of the wireless and broadcast emergency alert systems. Rep. McNerney, Jerry [D-CA-9]

HR 6113 To establish an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Water, and for other purposes. Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]

S 3416 A bill to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program of the Department of Homeland Security. Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]

I will be watching both House bills for cybersecurity language and definitions; not holding my breath.

Looking forward to seeing what Johnson has come up with this session for the CFATS program. Nothing on his web site about this bill, but that is not too unusual. Earlier this week, Johnson did make a comment about CFATS program in a hearing on the DHS 2021 Budget proposal:

“Additionally, CISA provides security assessments and advisory services to the sixteen critical infrastructure sectors of our economy. For all but one sector in which CISA has oversight, CISA employs a common approach by using voluntary Protective Security Advisors. In 2006, Congress authorized a specific regulatory program for the Chemical sector — the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program (CFATS). CFATS is set to expire in the coming weeks, and the administration proposes to transfer CFATS Chemical Security Inspectors into the same voluntary system used for the other critical infrastructure sectors. I support this common sense approach, but am willing to work with industry, the administration, and congressional colleagues on a path forward we can hopefully all agree on.”

This bill is currently scheduled to be considered in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee next week.