Review - HR 9085 Introduced – Cybersecurity Clinics

In September, Rep Veasey (D,TX) introduced HR 9085, the Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program Act. The bill would require CISA to establish a new “Cybersecurity Clinics Grant Program”. The grants would be used to fund university-based cybersecurity clinics at community colleges and minority serving educational institutions. The bill would authorize such funding as necessary to carry-out the grant program.

Moving Forward

Veasy is not a member of the House Education and Labor Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that there is not likely to be sufficient influence to see this bill considered in Committee. While I see nothing in this bill that would engender any organized opposition to the bill, it is so vaguely worded that there would likely not be enough support for the bill to carry it through the Committee to the floor of the House were it to be considered.

This looks very much like an election year “see I am doing something about cybersecurity education” type legislation.

Commentary

This is a weak bill, with no provisions concerning the administration of the grant program and no indication about how much money CISA would be expected to provide in the grants. The conflicting requirements for CISA to provide an undefined ‘experiential cybersecurity curriculum’ while requiring the agency to provide guidance to schools on how to develop the same curriculum shows how poorly thought out this proposed program really is.

 

For more details about the provisions of this legislation, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-9085-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 9-29-22

On Thursday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 156 bills introduced. Many of these bills were introduced as part of the reelection campaign of the member; we are headed into the Election Recess with most congress critters concentrating on their reelection campaigns. Of the bills introduced, two may receive additional coverage here:

HR 9067 To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to submit a report on the interoperability of medical devices. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-2]

HR 9085 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]

I will be watching HR 9067 for language and definitions that would indicate that cybersecurity concerns are to be included in the reporting requirements.

I will be watching HR 9085 for language and definitions that would include control system security concerns in the scope of the clinic curriculum.