S 4659 Introduced – FY 2023 LHH Spending

Last month, Sen Murray (D, WA) introduced S 4659, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not produced a Report on this bill. As with the House version of this bill (HR 8295), there is one cybersecurity mention in the bill.

Cybersecurity Spending

On page 111 the bill lists $1.59-million “necessary to support activities related to countering potential biological, nuclear, radiological, chemical, and cybersecurity threats to civilian populations, and for other public health emergencies”. This is about $70,000 less than made available in the House bill. The Report for the House bill explained (pg 235) that this “the funding supports the activities of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, including “funding for the Department’s [Health and Human Services] cybersecurity efforts.”

Moving Forward

HR 8295 was not included in the mini-bus (HR 8294) passed last month in the House, so unless the House takes up that bill, it is unlikely that the Senate will take up this bill, which is probably why no report has been produced. Technically, the House is required to initiate spending bills, but the Senate could pass this bill (it would probably not pass cloture) and then substitute the language for the House bill once it is passed there. This bill will likely get rolled into the end-of-year omnibus spending bill.