[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 30, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3203. Mr. PADILLA submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. IMPROVING CYBERSECURITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS OF 
                   THE U.S. ACADEMIC RESEARCH FLEET.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) U.S. academic research fleet.--The term ``U.S. Academic 
     Research Fleet'' means the United States-flagged vessels 
     that--
       (A) have been accepted into, and are active participants 
     administered within, the University-National Oceanographic 
     Laboratory System;
       (B) are operated as oceanographic research vessels by 
     research universities and laboratories;
       (C) receive funding from the National Science Foundation; 
     and
       (D) have achieved designation as a member vessel through a 
     standard evaluation process.
       (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Science Foundation.
       (3) Oceanographic research vessel.--The term 
     ``oceanographic research vessel'' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
       (b) Plan to Improve Cybersecurity and Telecommunications of 
     U.S. Academic Research Fleet.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director shall, in consultation 
     with the head of any Federal agency, university, or 
     laboratory that owns or operates a vessel of the U.S. 
     Academic Research Fleet, submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee 
     on Space, Science, and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives a plan to improve the cybersecurity and 
     telecommunications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet.
       (2) Elements.--The plan required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include--
       (A) an assessment of the telecommunications and networking 
     needs of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, consistent with 
     the typical scientific mission of that vessel;
       (B) in accordance with guidance issued by the Cybersecurity 
     and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Institute 
     for Standards and Technology, an assessment of cybersecurity 
     needs appropriate for--
       (i) the ownership of vessels within the U.S. Academic 
     Research Fleet; and
       (ii) the typical research functions and topics of such 
     vessels;
       (C) an assessment of the costs necessary to meet the needs 
     described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), including--
       (i) any necessary equipment, such as satellite 
     communications equipment, software, high-performance 
     computing clusters shipboard and shoreside, or enterprise 
     hardware; and
       (ii) estimated personnel costs in excess of current 
     expenditures, including any necessary training, support, or 
     logistics;
       (D) an assessment of the time required to implement any 
     upgrades required to meet the needs described in 
     subparagraphs (A) and (B) under varying budgets and funding 
     scenarios;
       (E) the adoption of common solutions or consortial 
     licensing agreements, or by centralizing elements of fleet 
     cybersecurity, telecommunications or data management at a 
     single facility; and
       (F) in consultation with any non-Federal owners of a vessel 
     of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, a spending plan for the 
     National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, 
     non-Federal owners of vessels of the U.S. Academic Research 
     Fleet, users of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, or any 
     combination thereof, to provide funding to cover the costs 
     described in subparagraph (C).
       (3) Considerations.--The Director shall, in preparing the 
     plan required by paragraph (1), consider--
       (A) the network capabilities, including speed and bandwidth 
     targets, necessary to meet the scientific mission needs of 
     each class of vessel within the U.S. Academic Research Fleet 
     for such purposes as--
       (i) executing the critical functions and communications of 
     the vessel;
       (ii) providing network access for the health and well-being 
     of deployed personnel, including communications to conduct 
     telemedicine (including mental health care), counseling, 
     interviews with crisis response providers, and other remote 
     individual care and services;
       (iii) as necessary to meet operations, uploading any 
     scientific data to a shoreside server, including the copying 
     of data off ship for disaster recovery or risk mitigation 
     purposes;
       (iv) as appropriate, conducting real-time streaming to 
     enable shore-based observers to participate in ship-based 
     maintenance or research activities;
       (v) real-time coordinated viewing of--

       (I) scientific instrumentation so that it is possible to 
     conduct scientific surveys and seafloor mapping with fully 
     remote subject-matter experts; and
       (II) critical operational technology by manufacturers and 
     vendors so that it is possible to carry out maintenance and 
     repairs to systems with limited expertise on the vessel, with 
     fully remote subject-matter experts advising; and

       (vi) as appropriate, enabling video communications to allow 
     improved outreach to, and other educational services for, k-
     12 students, including occasional remote classroom teaching 
     for instructors at sea to improve oceanographic access for 
     students; and
       (B) in consultation with the Director of the Cybersecurity 
     and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Director of the 
     National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the 
     heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate--
       (i) the cybersecurity recommendations in the report of the 
     private scientific advisory group known as JASON entitled 
     ``Cybersecurity at NSF Major Facilities'' (JSR-21-10E) and 
     dated October 2021 as applied to the U.S. Academic Research 
     Fleet;
       (ii) aligning with international standards and guidance for 
     information security, including the use of encryption for 
     sensitive information, the detection and handling of security 
     incidents, and other areas determined relevant by the 
     Director;
       (iii) facilitating access to cybersecurity personnel and 
     training of research and support personnel; and
       (iv) the requirements for controlled unclassified or 
     classified information.
                                 ______