Review - HR 4597 Introduced - Clean Water SRF Parity

Back in July, Rep Garamendi (D,CA) introduced HR 4597, the Clean Water SRF Parity Act. The bill amends 33 USC 1383 to expand the potential use of funds by qualified non-profit entities and to allow funds from the State water pollution control revolving fund to be used for privately owned treatment works. No additional funds are authorized by this bill.

Both Garamendi and his sole cosponsor {Rep Bost (R,IL)} are members of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there may be enough influence available to see this bill considered in both the Subcommittee and Committee. I do not see anything in this bill that would draw any organized opposition to the bill. I suspect that the bill would receive significant bipartisan support if it were considered. That should mean that the House could take up the bill under the suspension of the rules process.

While ‘cybersecurity’ is generally included in the broader term ‘security’, this bill would have been a perfect time to amend §1383(c)(10) to read:

“(10) for measures to increase the security or cybersecurity of publicly owned treatment works;”

For additional details about the provisions in this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-4597-introduced - subscription required. 

Bills Introduced – 7-21-21

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 60 bills introduced. Four of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 4597 To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to make certain projects and activities eligible for financial assistance under a State water pollution control revolving fund, and for other purposes. Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-3]

HR 4609 To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and for other purposes. Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11]

HR 4611 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to issue guidance with respect to certain information and communications technology or services contracts, and for other purposes. Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15]

S 2407 A bill to ensure timely Federal Government awareness of cyber intrusions that pose a threat to national security, enable the development of a common operating picture of national-level cyber threats, and to make appropriate, actionable cyber threat information available to the relevant government and private sector entities, as well as the public, and for other purposes. Sen. Warner, Mark [D-VA] 

I will be watching HR 4597 and HR 4611 for language and definitions that would include industrial control systems within the coverage of the bill.

I will be covering HR 4609 as NIST has become an important cybersecurity standards setting organization for the US Government.

S 2407 is the long awaited and much publicized Senate Intelligence Committee bill on reporting of cyber incidents. It has an impressive list of cosponsors. See Warner’s press release of the bill here. A draft version of the bill (GPO version will be out sometime) has been provided by Warner’s office. After a quick scan I see one thing of importance (certainly there will be more as I look at it in more depth), the bill kicks down to CISA the responsibility for defining what ‘critical infrastructure’ organizations will be required to report cyber breaches. This could become the de facto list of what constitutes critical infrastructure.