Review - HR 5281 Introduced – NTIB Report Update

Last month, Rep Neguse (D,CO) introduced HR 5281, the Securing Technology Against Climate Impacts Act. The bill amends 10 USC 2504 and adding a new requirement for the annual report to Congress on the national technology and industrial base (NTIB) to include an analysis of climate impacts and cyberattacks to the NTIB assessment. This is very similar to the language found in §2881 of HR 4350, the FY 2022 NDAA. No funding is authorized by this bill.

Neguse is not a member of the House Armed Services Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. Thus, there is probably not enough influence in Committee to see this bill considered. I see nothing in the bill that would engender any specific opposition. I suspect that the bill would receive significant bipartisan support if it were considered in Committee.

This bill will not be considered as long as the §2881 language remains in the version of HR 4350 that ends up on the President’s desk.

Commentary

Adding this reporting requirement to §2504 does not make much sense when DOD is not required to include those conditions in the underlying assessment that would underpin that report. I would suggest that the bill include adding language to make the following amendment to §2505(b)(5):

(5) identify technological and industrial capabilities and processes for which there is potential for the national industrial and technology base not to be able to support the achievement of national security objectives, this identification will specifically include consideration of:

(A) current and projected impacts of climate change, and

(B) potential disruptions due to cyberattacks or ransomware attacks; and

For more details about the provisions of this bill and the 10 USC provisions involved, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5281-introduced - subscription required.