Review - HR 4387 Introduced – Ag Cybersecurity

In June, Rep Nunn (R,IA) introduced H 4387, the Cybersecurity in Agriculture Act of 2023. The bill would require the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to establish five Regional Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers (RACC) to carry out research, development, and education on agriculture cybersecurity. The bill would authorize $25 million in annual spending to support the Centers through 2028.

Moving Forward

Both Dunn and his sole cosponsor {Rep Davis (D,NC)} are members of the House Agriculture Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that their may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. I suspect that there would be some level of bipartisan support for the bill in Committee, but the new spending will run afoul of efforts of the Republican 11 to radically reduce spending. The bill might be able to clear the Committee, but I doubt that there would be enough influence to see the bill overcome that objection and move to the floor of the House. I suspect that the bill could pass with bipartisan support if it were considered by the full House.

Commentary

There is one major deficiency in this bill, it lacks any mention of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in agricultural systems. The RACCs should be conducting vulnerability research, act as vulnerability disclosure coordinators for agricultural systems, and coordinate with CISA’s NCCIC in publishing advisories about reported vulnerabilities.

 

For more details about the provisions of the bill, including proposed additional vulnerability language, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-4387-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 6-27-23

Yesterday, with the House meeting in proforma session, there were 37 bills introduced. Six of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 4364 Making appropriations for the Legislative Branch for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. Amodei, Mark E. [Rep.-R-NV-2]

HR 4365 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2024 Calvert, Ken [Rep.-R-CA-41]

HR 4366 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 Carter, John R. [Rep.-R-TX-31]

HR 4367 Making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]

HR 4368 Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and for other purposes. Harris, Andy [Rep.-R-MD-1] 

HR 4387 To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program providing for the establishment of Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers, and for other purposes. Nunn, Zachary [Rep.-R-IA-3]

I will be covering HR 4365, HR 4367 and HR 4387.

I will be watching the remaining spending bills for language that specifically cover cybersecurity provisions not dealing with internal agency cybersecurity.