Review – HR 8770 Introduced – Cybersecurity Clinic Grants

Back in June, Rep Veasey (D,TX) introduced HR 8770, the Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program Act. The bill would require CISA to establish a new Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program to provide “grants to fund university-based cybersecurity clinics”. The program would be administered by FEMA. The legislation would authorize “such sums as may be necessary to carry out the Program.”

Moving Forward

While Veasy is not a member of the House Homeland Security Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration, one of his cosponsors {Rep Pfluger (R,TX)} is a member. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. There will be objections from a number of Republicans to the establishment of a new grant program, particularly a program that targets minority institutions. There still should be some level of bipartisan support for the bill, but it is not clear if that support would be sufficient to move the bill to the floor of the House under the suspension of the rules process.

 

For more details about the provisions of this bill, including a commentary on the scope of the term ‘cybersecurity’ used in the bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-8770-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 6-14-24

Yesterday, with just the House in session, there were 26 bills introduced. Three of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 8752 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025 Amodei, Mark E. [Rep.-R-NV-2] 

HR 8770 To establish a grant program carried out by the Department of Homeland Security to fund university-based cybersecurity clinics at junior or community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and other minority-serving institutions, and for other purposes. Veasey, Marc A. [Rep.-D-TX-33] 

HR 8771 Making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, and for other purposes. Diaz-Balart, Mario [Rep.-R-FL-26]

There is one other bill that I would like to mention in passing:

HR 8758 To amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to expand coverage under such Act to public employees. Deluzio, Christopher R. [Rep.-D-PA-17] 

Currently the OSHA standards do not apply to State, local, tribal and territorial governmental entities. This is, in part, an unfunded mandate issue for these governments, but it is also a separation of powers issue. To be sure, most of these government entities take efforts to protect their employees from occupational hazards, they do not have OSHA hovering over their shoulder, keeping them in line. Okay, businesses do not have OSHA ‘hoovering over their shoulders’ either, there are not enough OSHA inspectors around to do that. But they do not have to worry about OSHA inspectors showing up after an accident or employee complaint.

This bill has no chance of being considered in the current congress, but it is nice to know that Deluzio and his staff care enough to go through the motions.