Legislative Branch Activity
National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act
On Wednesday, December 12, House Homeland Security Committee leaders introduced the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Act (H.R. 3696). The committee has been working with numerous stakeholders over the past six months to draft the legislation. The bill seeks to strengthen the cybersecurity of the nation’s 16 critical infrastructure sectors and codifies the cybersecurity mission of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In addition, H.R. 3696 amends the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act of 2002 to provide legal liability protections for companies working in the cybersecurity space. The bill is sponsored by House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), as well as Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Chairman Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and Ranking Member Yvette Clarke (D-NY). The committee will likely consider and mark up H.R. 3696 at the beginning of 2014.
Upcoming Hearings:
- Wednesday, December 18: The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will mark up its bill, the Cybersecurity Recruitment and Retention Act. The bill has yet to be officially introduced.
