Review - HR 7625 Introduced – CG as SRMA

 Back in February, Rep McDowell (R,NC) introduced HR 7625, the Marine Transportation System Cybersecurity Budget and Evaluation Report (MTS CYBER) Act of 2026. The bill would require the GAO to assess the budget and capabilities of the Coast Guard as a Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) to ensure it can fulfill responsibilities for protecting the MTS against cyber threats. No new funding is authorized. 

Moving Forward  

Both McDowell, and his sole cosponsor {Rep Begich (R,AK)}, are 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. Since this is a study-report bill, I see nothing in the bill that would engender any organized opposition. I would expect the bill to receive a certain measure of bipartisan support. Whether that support would be sufficient to see the bill move to the floor of the House under the suspension of the rules process remains to be seen. This bill is not politically important enough to move to the floor under a rule. 

For more information on the provisions of this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-7625-introduced-cg-as-srma - subscription required.