Review - HR 1604 Introduced – Food & Ag Cybersecurity

Back in February Rep Finstad (R,MN) introduced HR 1604, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025. 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 2030 to fund such activities.

This bill is very similar to HR 7062 that Finstad introduced in January of 2024. No action was taken on that bill in the 118^th Congress. The most noticeable difference is that the new bill adds multiple references to ‘sector specific ISAC’ as well as references to ‘appropriate sector coordinating councils’. The most important change, however, is found in §3(a)(6), requesting that suggestions of legislative changes include:

“…intrusive, duplicative, or conflicting regulatory requirements that may divert attention and resources from operational risk management to a compliance regime that impedes actual security efforts.”

Moving Forward

Both Finstad and his three cosponsors {Rep. Tokuda (D,HI), Rep. Bacon (R,NE), and Rep. Davids (D,KS)} are all members of the House Agriculture Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. The main thing that would hold up this bill is the $1-million authorization for spending to support the activities outlined in the bill. In the current Congress, that is almost certainly a deal breaker.

 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-1604-introduced - subscription required.