S 4659 Introduced – FY 2023 LHH Spending

Last month, Sen Murray (D, WA) introduced S 4659, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not produced a Report on this bill. As with the House version of this bill (HR 8295), there is one cybersecurity mention in the bill.

Cybersecurity Spending

On page 111 the bill lists $1.59-million “necessary to support activities related to countering potential biological, nuclear, radiological, chemical, and cybersecurity threats to civilian populations, and for other public health emergencies”. This is about $70,000 less than made available in the House bill. The Report for the House bill explained (pg 235) that this “the funding supports the activities of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, including “funding for the Department’s [Health and Human Services] cybersecurity efforts.”

Moving Forward

HR 8295 was not included in the mini-bus (HR 8294) passed last month in the House, so unless the House takes up that bill, it is unlikely that the Senate will take up this bill, which is probably why no report has been produced. Technically, the House is required to initiate spending bills, but the Senate could pass this bill (it would probably not pass cloture) and then substitute the language for the House bill once it is passed there. This bill will likely get rolled into the end-of-year omnibus spending bill.

Review - HR 8295 Introduced – FY 2023 LHHS Spending

Last week Rep DeLauro (D,CT) introduced HR 8295, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023. The House Appropriations Committee also published their Report on the bill. There is only a single reference to cybersecurity in the bill, again, internal agency spending, and multiple descriptions of cybersecurity training efforts mentioned in the Report as well as healthcare cybersecurity support.

Moving Forward

This bill is not included in the minibus being worked by the House Rules Committee for probable floor action next week. This is almost certainly because of the abortion support provisions included in the bill. I am not sure that this bill will make it to the floor of the House before the summer recess for just that reason. The Democratic leadership knows that there will be multiple attempts to remove those provisions in floor amendments (which will likely fail on nearly party lines) and lacking removal every effort will be made to drag out the proceedings as long as possible. This will slow down other legislative work. If it does come to a final vote, it may pass on nearly party lines, but it will never be taken up in the Senate because of the abortion support provisions.

 

For more details on the cybersecurity training and healthcare cybersecurity support provisions, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-8295-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 7-5-22

Yesterday, with the House and Senate meeting in pro forma session, there were 17 bills introduced. Three of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 8285 To support research, development, and other activities to develop innovative vehicle technologies, and for other purposes. Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-12] 

HR 8294 Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, and for other purposes. Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4] 

HR 8295 Making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, and for other purposes. Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]

I will be watching HR 8285 for language and definitions that would include vehicle cybersecurity technology within the scope of the bill.

I will be covering both the spending bills, but based on past experience, there may be little to write about here on the LHH spending bill.

In Passing

I do want to mention one bill in passing here:

HR 8291 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on counterterrorism security at certain passenger rail stations, and for other purposes. Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15].

This looks like it may be part of periodic attempt to start some sort of TSA people controls on passenger railroads. This has proven to be too costly and complicated in the past looks and that is unlikely to have changed. It took using planes as a weapon to get TSA into the airports, I do not see the same threat level for trains, but they are certainly a potential terrorist target.