Review - HR 7208 Introduced – PROTECT the Grid

 Back in January Rep Crenshaw (R,TX) introduced HR 7208, the Preventing Remote Operations by Threatening Entities on Critical Technology for the Grid (PROTECT the Grid) Act. The bill would require DOC to submit a report assessing vulnerabilities to the electric grid in the United States from certain Internet-connected devices and applications, and for other purposes. It would also codify EO 13873. No new funding is provided. 

I can find no legislation in the 118th Congress that might be similar to HR 7208. There is, however, a Senate bill in the 119th that is essentially the same as this bill; S 2593. The only thing stopping S 2593 from being a companion bill is that it included the out-of-date reference to the “the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela while Nicolás Maduro Moros is in power” as part of the definition of the term ‘foreign adversary’. 

Moving Forward 

Crenshaw is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee to which this bill was assigned for primary consideration. This means that there could be sufficient influence to see this bill considered in that Committee. While the DOC reporting requirements in this bill should not engender any organized opposition, the codification of EO 13873 in §5 might draw some opposition. Still, I suspect that the bill would receive some level of bipartisan support. Whether it would be sufficient to see the bill move to the House floor under the suspension of the rules process (where a supermajority is required for passage) remains to be seen.11 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-7208-introduced-protect-the-grid - subscription required.