HR 9642 Introduced – Cybersecurity Plan

Last month, Rep Webster (R,FL) introduced HR 9642, the Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act. The bill would amend 46 USC 54301 to require grantees under the Port Infrastructure Development Program that are using their grant to acquire digital infrastructure or software to have an approved security plan that “that addresses the cybersecurity risks of such digital infrastructure or software”. No funding would be authorized by this proposed legislation.

The language of this bill is identical to S 5064, which was introduced in the Senate by Sen Cornyn (R,TX) on the same day that this bill was introduced in the House.

Moving Forward

Webster, and his sole cosponsor, Rep Carbajal (D,CA), are both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. I do not see anything in the bill that would engender any organized opposition. I suspect that the bill would receive some level of bipartisan support. There should be sufficient bipartisan support to allow this bill to move to the floor of the House under the suspension of the rules process.