[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 136 (Sunday, August 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5248-S5250]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2134. Mr. KING (for himself, Mr. Sasse, and Mr. Rounds) submitted
an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 3684, to
authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and
transit programs, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:
At the end of title VI of division G, add the following:
Subtitle C--National Cyber Resilience Assistance Fund
SEC. 70621. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL CYBER RESILIENCE
ASSISTANCE FUND.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States now operates in a cyber landscape
that requires a level of data security, resilience, and
trustworthiness that neither the United States Government nor
the private sector alone is currently equipped to provide;
(2) the United States must deny benefits to adversaries who
have long exploited cyberspace to their advantage, to the
disadvantage of the United States, and at little cost to
themselves;
(3) this new approach requires securing critical networks
in collaboration with the private sector to promote national
resilience and increase the security of the cyber ecosystem;
(4) reducing the vulnerabilities adversaries can target
denies them opportunities to attack the interests of the
United States through cyberspace;
(5) the public and private sectors struggle to coordinate
cyber defenses, leaving gaps that decrease national
resilience and create systemic risk;
(6) new technology continues to emerge that further
compounds these challenges;
(7) while the Homeland Security Grant Program and
resourcing for national preparedness under the Federal
Emergency Management Agency are well-established, the United
States Government has no equivalent for cybersecurity
preparation or prevention;
(8) the lack of a consistent, resourced fund for investing
in resilience in key areas inhibits the United States
Government from conveying its understanding of risk into
strategy, planning, and action in furtherance of core
objectives for the security and resilience of critical
infrastructure;
(9) the Federal Government must fundamentally shift the way
it invests in resilience and shift the focus away from
reactive disaster spending towards research-supported and
risk-driven proactive investment in critical infrastructure
cyber resilience;
(10) Congress has worked diligently to establish the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, creating a
new agency that can leverage broad authorities to receive and
share information, provide technical assistance to operators,
and partner with stakeholders across the executive branch,
State and local communities, and the private sector;
(11) the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
requires strengthening in its mission to ensure the national
resilience of critical infrastructure, promote a more secure
cyber ecosystem, and serve as the central coordinating
element to support and integrate Federal, State, local, and
private-sector cybersecurity efforts; and
(12) the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
requires further resource investment and clear authorities to
realize its full potential.
(b) Amendments.--Subtitle A of title XXII of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 2202(c) (6 U.S.C. 652(c))--
(A) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in the first paragraph designated as paragraph (12),
relating to the Cybersecurity State Coordinator--
(i) by striking ``section 2215'' and inserting ``section
2217''; and
(ii) by striking ``and'' at the end; and
(C) by redesignating the second and third paragraphs
designated as paragraph (12) as paragraphs (13) and (14),
respectively;
(2) by redesignating section 2218, as added by section
70612 of this Act, as section 2220A;
(3) by redesignating section 2217 (6 U.S.C. 665f) as
section 2220;
(4) by redesignating section 2216 (6 U.S.C. 665e) as
section 2219;
(5) by redesignating the fourth section 2215 (relating to
Sector Risk Management Agencies) (6 U.S.C. 665d) as section
2218;
(6) by redesignating the third section 2215 (relating to
the Cybersecurity State Coordinator) (6 U.S.C. 665c) as
section 2217;
(7) by redesignating the second section 2215 (relating to
the Joint Cyber Planning Office) (6 U.S.C. 665b) as section
2216; and
(8) by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 2220B. NATIONAL CYBER RESILIENCE ASSISTANCE FUND.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Cybersecurity risk.--The term `cybersecurity risk'
has the meaning given that term in section 2209.
``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an
entity that meets the guidelines and requirements for
eligible entities established by the Secretary under
subsection (d)(4).
``(3) Fund.--The term `Fund' means the National Cyber
Resilience Assistance Fund established under subsection (c).
``(4) National critical functions.--The term `national
critical functions' means the functions of government and the
private sector so vital to the United States that their
disruption, corruption, or dysfunction would have a
debilitating effect on security, national economic security,
national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.
``(b) Creation of a Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Strategy and a National Risk Management Cycle.--
``(1) Initial risk identification and assessment.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director, shall establish a process by which to identify,
assess, and prioritize risks to critical infrastructure,
considering both cyber and physical threats, vulnerabilities,
and consequences.
``(B) Consultation.--In establishing the process required
under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consult with
Sector Risk Management Agencies, critical infrastructure
owners and operators, and the National Cyber Director.
``(C) Publication.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall publish in
the Federal Register procedures for the process established
under subparagraph (A).
``(D) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the
President, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report on
the risks identified by the process established under
subparagraph (A).
``(2) Initial national critical infrastructure resilience
strategy.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the Secretary delivers the report required under
paragraph (1)(D), the President shall deliver to majority and
minority leaders of the Senate, the Speaker and minority
leader of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives a national critical infrastructure resilience
strategy designed to address the risks identified by the
Secretary.
``(B) Elements.--In the strategy delivered under
subparagraph (A), the President shall--
``(i) identify, assess, and prioritize areas of risk to
critical infrastructure that would compromise, disrupt, or
impede the ability of the critical infrastructure to support
the national critical functions of national security,
economic security, or public health and safety;
``(ii) identify and outline current and proposed national-
level actions, programs, and efforts to be taken to address
the risks identified;
``(iii) identify the Federal departments or agencies
responsible for leading each national-level action, program,
or effort and the relevant critical infrastructure sectors
for each;
``(iv) outline the budget plan required to provide
sufficient resources to successfully execute the full range
of activities proposed or described by the strategy; and
``(v) request any additional authorities or resources
necessary to successfully execute the strategy.
``(C) Form.--The strategy delivered under subparagraph (A)
shall be unclassified, but may contain a classified annex.
``(3) Congressional briefing.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the President delivers the strategy under
subparagraph (A), and every year thereafter, the Secretary,
in coordination with Sector Risk Management Agencies, shall
brief the appropriate congressional committees on the
national risk management cycle activities undertaken pursuant
to the strategy.
``(4) Five year risk management cycle.--
``(A) Risk identification and assessment.--Under procedures
established by the Secretary, the Secretary shall repeat the
conducting and reporting of the risk identification and
assessment required under paragraph (1), in accordance with
the requirements in paragraph (1), every 5 years.
``(B) Strategy.--Under procedures established by the
President, the President shall repeat the preparation and
delivery of the critical infrastructure resilience strategy
required under paragraph (2), in accordance with the
requirements in paragraph (2), every 5 years, which shall
also include assessing the implementation of the previous
national critical infrastructure resilience strategy.
``(c) Establishment of the National Cyber Resilience
Assistance Fund.--There is established in the Treasury of the
United States a fund, to be known as the `National Cyber
Resilience Assistance Fund', which shall be available for the
cost of risk-based grant programs focused on systematically
increasing the resilience of public and private critical
infrastructure against cybersecurity risk, thereby increasing
the overall resilience of the United States.
[[Page S5249]]
``(d) Administration of Grants From the National Cyber
Resilience Assistance Fund.--
``(1) In general.--In accordance with this section, the
Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency and the Director, shall develop
and administer processes to--
``(A) establish focused grant programs to address
identified areas of cybersecurity risk to, and bolster the
resilience of, critical infrastructure;
``(B) accept and evaluate applications for each such grant
program;
``(C) award grants under each such grant program; and
``(D) disburse amounts from the Fund.
``(2) Establishment of risk-focused grant programs.--
``(A) Establishment.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, may establish not less than 1 grant
program focused on mitigating an identified category of
cybersecurity risk identified under the national risk
management cycle and critical infrastructure resilience
strategy under subsection (b) in order to bolster the
resilience of critical infrastructure within the United
States.
``(ii) Selection of focus area.--Before selecting a focus
area for a grant program pursuant to this subparagraph, the
Director shall ensure--
``(I) there is a clearly-defined cybersecurity risk
identified through the national risk management cycle and
critical infrastructure resilience strategy under subsection
(b) to be mitigated;
``(II) market forces do not provide sufficient private-
sector incentives to mitigate the risk without Government
investment; and
``(III) there is clear Federal need, role, and
responsibility to mitigate the risk in order to bolster the
resilience of critical infrastructure.
``(B) Funding.--
``(i) Recommendation.--Beginning in the first fiscal year
following the establishment of the Fund and each fiscal year
thereafter, the Director shall--
``(I) assess the funds available in the Fund for the fiscal
year; and
``(II) recommend to the Secretary the total amount to be
made available from the Fund under each grant program
established under this subsection.
``(ii) Allocation.--After considering the recommendations
made by the Director under clause (i) for a fiscal year, the
Director shall allocate amounts from the Fund to each active
grant program established under this subsection for the
fiscal year.
``(3) Use of funds.--
``(A) In general.--Amounts in the Fund shall be used to
proactively mitigate risks identified through the national
risk management cycle and critical infrastructure resilience
strategy under subsection (b) before cyber incidents occur,
through activities such as--
``(i) proactive vulnerability assessments and mitigation;
``(ii) defrayal of costs to invest in backup systems
critical to mitigating national or economic security risks,
as determined by the Federal Government, with cost-sharing
from the recipient entity in accordance with subparagraph
(B);
``(iii) defrayal of costs to invest in replacing vulnerable
systems and assets critical to mitigating national or
economic security risks, as determined by the Federal
Government, with more secure alternatives with cost-sharing
from the recipient entity in accordance with subparagraph
(B);
``(iv) grants to nonprofit entities to develop publicly
available low-cost or no-cost cybersecurity tools for small-
sized and medium-sized entities;
``(v) proactive threat detection and hunting; and
``(vi) network protections.
``(B) Federal share.--The Federal share of the cost of an
activity described in clause (ii) or (iii) of subparagraph
(A) carried out using funds made available under this section
may not exceed--
``(i) for fiscal year 2022, 90 percent;
``(ii) for fiscal year 2023, 80 percent;
``(iii) for fiscal year 2024, 70 percent;
``(iv) for fiscal year 2025, 60 percent; and
``(v) for fiscal year 2026, and each fiscal year
thereafter, 50 percent.
``(4) Eligible entities.--
``(A) Guidelines and requirements.--
``(i) In general.--In accordance with clause (ii), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations
of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a
set of guidelines and requirements for determining the
entities that are eligible entities.
``(ii) Deadlines.--The Secretary shall submit the
guidelines and requirements under clause (i)--
``(I) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment
of this section, and every 2 years thereafter; and
``(II) not later than 90 days before the date on which the
Secretary implements the guidelines and requirements.
``(B) Considerations.--In developing guidelines and
requirements for eligible entities under subparagraph (A),
the Secretary shall consider--
``(i) number of employees;
``(ii) annual revenue;
``(iii) existing entity cybersecurity spending;
``(iv) current cyber risk assessments, including credible
threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences; and
``(v) entity capacity to invest in mitigating cybersecurity
risk absent assistance from the Federal Government.
``(5) Limitation.--For any fiscal year, an eligible entity
may not receive more than 1 grant from each grant program
established under this subsection.
``(6) Grant processes.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
shall require the submission of such information as the
Secretary determines is necessary to--
``(A) evaluate a grant application against the criteria
established under this section;
``(B) disburse grant funds;
``(C) provide oversight of disbursed grant funds; and
``(D) evaluate the effectiveness of the funded project in
increasing the overall resilience of the United States with
respect to cybersecurity risks.
``(7) Grant criteria.--For each grant program established
under this subsection, the Director, in coordination with the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
shall develop and publish criteria for evaluating
applications for funding, which shall include--
``(A) whether the application identifies a clearly-defined
cybersecurity risk;
``(B) whether the cybersecurity risk identified in the
grant application poses a substantial threat to critical
infrastructure;
``(C) whether the application identifies a program or
project clearly designed to mitigate a cybersecurity risk;
``(D) the potential consequences of leaving the identified
cybersecurity risk unmitigated, including the potential
impact to the critical functions and overall resilience of
the nation; and
``(E) other appropriate factors identified by the Director.
``(8) Evaluation of grants applications.--
``(A) In general.--Utilizing the criteria established under
paragraph (7), the Director, in coordination with the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
shall evaluate grant applications made under each grant
program established under this subsection.
``(B) Recommendation.--Following the evaluations required
under subparagraph (A), the Director shall recommend to the
Secretary applications for approval, including the amount of
funding recommended for each such approval.
``(9) Award of grant funding.--The Secretary shall--
``(A) review the recommendations of the Director prepared
pursuant to paragraph (8); and
``(B) provide a final determination of grant awards to the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
be disbursed and administered under the process established
under paragraph (6).
``(e) Evaluation of Grant Programs Utilizing the National
Cyber Resilience Assistance Fund.--
``(1) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall establish a process
to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of grants
distributed under this section and develop appropriate
updates, as needed, to the grant programs.
``(2) Annual report.--Not later than 180 days after the
conclusion of the first fiscal year in which grants are
awarded under this section, and every fiscal year thereafter,
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report detailing the grants awarded from
the Fund, the status of projects undertaken with the grant
funds, any planned changes to the disbursement methodology of
the Fund, measurements of success, and total outlays from the
Fund.
``(3) Grant program review.--
``(A) Annual assessment.--Before the start of the second
fiscal year in which grants are awarded under this section,
and every fiscal year thereafter, the Director shall assess
the grant programs established under this section and
determine--
``(i) for the coming fiscal year--
``(I) whether new grant programs with additional focus
areas should be created;
``(II) whether any existing grant program should be
discontinued; and
``(III) whether the scope of any existing grant program
should be modified; and
``(ii) the success of the grant programs in the prior
fiscal year.
``(B) Submission to congress.--Not later than 90 days
before the start of the second fiscal year in which grants
are awarded under this section, and every fiscal year
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee
on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives the assessment conducted pursuant to
subparagraph (A) and any planned alterations to the grant
program for the coming fiscal year.
``(f) Limitation on Use of Grant Funds.--Funds awarded
pursuant to this section--
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``(1) shall supplement and not supplant State or local
funds or, as applicable, funds supplied by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs; and
``(2) may not be used--
``(A) to provide any Federal cost-sharing contribution on
behalf of a State or local government;
``(B) to pay a ransom;
``(C) by or for a non-United States entity; or
``(D) for any recreational or social purpose.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section
$75,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
``(h) Transfers Authorized.--During a fiscal year, the
Secretary or the head of any component of the Department that
administers the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
may transfer not more than 5 percent of the amounts
appropriated pursuant to subsection (g) or other amounts
appropriated to carry out the National Cyber Resilience
Assistance Fund for that fiscal year to an account of the
Department for salaries, expenses, and other administrative
costs incurred for the management, administration, or
evaluation of this section.
``(i) Government Accountability Office Report.--Not later
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section,
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
in the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security in the
House of Representatives a report containing the results of a
study regarding the effectiveness of the programs described
in this section.''.
(c) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Table of contents.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-
296; 116 Stat. 2135) is amended by striking the item relating
to section 2214 and all that follows through the item
relating to section 2218, as added by section 70612 of this
Act, and inserting the following:
``Sec. 2214. National Asset Database.
``Sec. 2215. Duties and authorities relating to .gov internet domain.
``Sec. 2216. Joint Cyber Planning Office.
``Sec. 2217. Cybersecurity State Coordinator.
``Sec. 2218. Sector Risk Management Agencies.
``Sec. 2219. Cybersecurity Advisory Committee.
``Sec. 2220. Cybersecurity education and training programs.
``Sec. 2220A. State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.
``Sec. 2220B. National Cyber Resilience Assistance Fund.''.
(2) Additional technical amendment.--
(A) Amendment.--Section 904(b)(1) of the DOTGOV Act of 2020
(title IX of division U of Public Law 116-260) is amended, in
the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``Homeland
Security Act'' and inserting ``Homeland Security Act of
2002''.
(B) Effective date.--The amendment made by subparagraph (A)
shall take effect as if enacted as part of the DOTGOV Act of
2020 (title IX of division U of Public Law 116-260).
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