Bills Introduced – 3-9-23

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 112 bills introduced. One of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 1484 To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a penalty for causing a defect in pipeline infrastructure, and for other purposes. Bost, Mike [Rep.-R-IL-12]

I will be watching this legislation for language and definitions that would specifically include cyber related defects within the scope or coverage of the bill.

I would like to mention in passing another bill that may end up being important (if enacted into law which is statistically unlikely at this point):

HR 1518 To provide for a reauthorizing schedule for unauthorized Federal programs, and for other purposes. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [Rep.-R-WA-5]

There are a number of security related programs that have been started up by federal agencies that have never been specifically authorized by Congress, the ChemLock program comes immediately to mind, that are potentially under attack this year by the fiscal reactionaries in the Republican party this year. Efforts have been made (some successful) to authorize these successful programs over the last couple of years, but most have died the common legislative disease of inaction because of their small size. There is only so much legislative time available. It sounds like this bill my Ms Rodgers could address this issue.

In any case, I will be watching this bill, but am unlikely to say much more about it here.