Last month Rep Finstad (R,MN) introduced HR 7062, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2024. The bill would require USDA to periodically assess cybersecurity threats to, and vulnerabilities in, the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector. Additionally, it would be required to conduct an annual cross-sector simulation exercise relating to a food-related emergency or disruption, and for other purposes. The bill would authorize $1 million per year through 2028 to fund such activities.
Moving Forward
Finstad, and 12 of his 13 bipartisan cosponsors, are members of the House Agriculture Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there should be sufficient influence to see this bill considered in Committee. I suspect that, even with the $1 million price tag, this bill will have significant bipartisan support. There is a good chance that the language would be added to the farm bill.
Commentary
I find it odd that this bill fails to mention the Food
and Agriculture Sector Coordinating Council (FASCC). This group is a well-established
public-private partnership designed to assist the USDA in their oversight of
the Food and Agriculture Sector. They would be an invaluable asset to the USDA
in developing and executing the requirements of this legislation. I would like
to see language inserted in §3(a) and §4(a) requiring coordination with the FASCC
for execution of both the study and the exercises.
For more details about the provisions of this bill see my
article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-7062-introduced
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