[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 148 (Monday, September 23, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5629-H5631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1930
ACCELERATING NETWORKING, CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE, AND HARDWARE FOR OCEANIC
RESEARCH ACT
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 7630) to require a plan to improve the cybersecurity and
telecommunications of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 7630
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating Networking,
Cyberinfrastructure, and Hardware for Oceanic Research Act''
or the ``ANCHOR Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(2) Oceanographic research vessel.--The term
``oceanographic research vessel'' has the meaning given the
term in section 2101 of title 46, United States Code.
(3) 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 actively 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 of the
U.S. Academic Research Fleet through the standard U.S.
Academic Research Fleet evaluation process.
SEC. 3. PLAN TO IMPROVE CYBERSECURITY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
OF U.S. ACADEMIC RESEARCH FLEET.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director , in consultation
with other Federal agency owners heads of other Federal
agencies and the head of any university or laboratory that
owns or operates a vessel of the U.S. Academic Research
Fleet, shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the U.S. Senate and the Committee on
Space, Science, and Technology of the U.S. House of
Representatives a plan to improve the cybersecurity and
telecommunications of the Academic Research Fleet.
(b) Elements.--The plan required by subsection (a) shall
include--
(1) an assessment of the telecommunications and networking
needs of the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, consistent with
the typical scientific mission of each vessel;
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(2) 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--
(A) the ownership of vessels within the U.S. Academic
Research Fleet; and
(B) the typical research functions and topics of such
vessels;
(3) an assessment of the costs necessary to meet the needs
described in paragraphs (1) and (2), including--
(A) any necessary equipment, such as satellite
communications equipment, software, high-performance
computing clusters shipboard and shoreside, or enterprise
hardware; and
(B) estimated personnel costs in excess of current
expenditures, including any necessary training, support, or
logistics;
(4) an assessment of the time required to implement any
upgrades required to meet the needs described in paragraphs
(1) and (2) under varying budgets and funding scenarios;
(5) a proposal for 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
(6) 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 paragraph (3).
(c) Considerations.--The Director in preparing the plan
required by subsection (a), shall consider the following--
(1) 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--
(A) executing the critical functions and communications of
each vessel;
(B) 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;
(C) 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;
(D) as appropriate, conducting real-time streaming to
enable shore-based observers to participate in ship-based
maintenance or research activities;
(E) 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 each vessel,
with fully remote subject-matter experts advising; and
(F) 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
(2) 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--
(A) 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;
(B) 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;
(C) facilitating access to cybersecurity personnel and
training of research and support personnel; and
(D) the requirements for controlled unclassified or
classified information.
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION OF AND REPORT ON PLAN.
(a) In General.--The Director, in coordination with the
Office of Naval Research, non-Federal owners of vessels of
the Academic Research Fleet, users of the U.S. Academic
Research Fleet, or any combination thereof, may support
upgrades to the cyberinfrastructure and cybersecurity of the
U.S. Academic Research Fleet consistent with the plan
required by section 3.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 2 years after the
submission of the plan required by section 3, the Director
shall 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
report describing the progress made in implementing the plan.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma.
General Leave
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 7630, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Oklahoma?
There was no objection.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here in support of the ANCHOR Act
sponsored by my friend, Mr. Mike Garcia of California.
The ANCHOR Act establishes the crucial need for better cybersecurity
in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. This fleet of 18 vessels operates
in the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the polar regions where they
conduct crucial research on our marine environments.
They are studying ecosystems and food webs, offshore energy
resources, and how we can better forecast and respond to hazards like
earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.
Much of what we know about the ocean, from the wave dynamics to the
deepest trenches, is thanks to research done aboard one of these
vessels.
They operate a wide range of specialized equipment, including deep-
towing cameras, state-of-the-art acoustic sensors, and sea floor
mapping systems. They do this all over the globe, often sailing to
remote locations far from land.
This creates a unique challenge because the fleet needs secure and
reliable communications and data transmissions, whether they are just
off the coast of California or in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
That means that each individual vessel needs a specialized
infrastructure that protects their scientific equipment and ensures the
security of their data, both on board and in transmission.
They need this level of security, but they don't have it. This bill
will change that. The ANCHOR Act directs the National Science
Foundation to submit a plan for much-needed upgrades to our Academic
Research Fleet to improve cybersecurity and modernize telecom
equipment.
We are directing the NSF to take into account the types of research
done on each vessel, where they operate, their specialized equipment,
and the necessary bandwidth for communication.
This plan is necessary to protect the taxpayer-funded research that
is being performed by our Academic Research Fleet.
My fellow Representatives have often heard me talk about the threat
to our research and intellectual property from the Chinese Communist
Party.
We have taken strong steps to protect research done at our Federal
agencies and in partnership with academic institutions. Now we must
take the next step and secure the research being done off our coasts.
I appreciate Representative Mike Garcia's work on this issue and his
commitment to strengthen our research enterprise and give it the
protection it deserves.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the ANCHOR Act and
yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Academic Research Fleet is made up of an
impressive array of marine research assets consisting of large and
small oceanographic vessels, sophisticated submersibles, and high-tech
autonomous vehicles.
More impressive is the invaluable research conducted by this fleet.
It supports critical ocean environmental science that leads to a deeper
understanding of our Earth system, improved and continuous assessments
of our Nation's marine natural resources, and serves national security
interests as well.
This diverse fleet is managed and operated by a diverse group that
includes NSF, the Office of Naval Research, Federal research labs, and
U.S. universities. These various entities bring with them assorted
cyber infrastructure and networking challenges and vulnerabilities as
well. This technological struggle has had real detrimental impacts, has
hindered the production of needed scientific outputs,
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and has placed important expensive projects at risk.
This legislation directs NSF to collaborate with other appropriate
agencies and ARF operators on the creation of a networking and
cybersecurity improvement plan that could address these challenges by
assessing equipment and personnel costs and time requirements for
upgrading the fleet and developing a proposal for funding these
upgrades.
The Senate companion to this bill, led by California's own Senators
Padilla and Sullivan, recently passed out of the Senate Commerce
Committee, so we have a real opportunity to get this bill passed and
begin the process of closing this unfortunate gap so that the science
gets done.
I thank the bill's sponsors, Mr. Mike Garcia and Ms. Stevens, for
their work on the ANCHOR Act. I thank the chairman for his continuing
bipartisanship on the committee.
We have made tremendous progress this year. I urge everyone to join
me in supporting the act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia), to speak on his bill.
Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and
thank Chairman Lucas and the committee staff for their support as well
of H.R. 7630, the ANCHOR Act, which protects our scientific
infrastructure from CCP espionage.
I also thank my colleague from across the aisle, Ms. Stevens, for her
support in cosponsoring this bill as well.
As I said during the markup of this very important piece of
legislation, the U.S. is the proud home to some of the best minds in
the world, minds that keep our Nation on the cutting edge of scientific
research, driving our national security, our economy, our healthcare,
and so much more. Those advantages would immediately disappear if we
allow lapses in our research security to occur.
The NSF currently owns 17 ships that make up the Academic Research
Fleet. This fleet enables scientists across the Nation to conduct
complex research on the ocean, the sea floor, the Great Lakes, remote
polar regions, and throughout our Nation's borders maritime regions.
Unfortunately, this fleet is also aging and has become susceptible to
cyber espionage from the CCP. According to The Wall Street Journal, in
2019 the fleet was the largest target to more than two-dozen
cybersecurity attacks by the CCP as part of an elaborate scheme to
steal research about maritime technology being developed for military
use.
Following these attacks, Mr. Speaker, the NSF ordered an independent
advisory group to provide recommendations for strengthening the
cybersecurity capabilities of the Academic Research Fleet.
The ANCHOR Act implements these recommendations to protect the fleet
and is the tool that the taxpayers will fund to make sure that the
research they conduct is secure and protected.
We can't afford to wait, and we can't let China continue to rob us of
precious American innovations paid for by our constituents.
I thank Chairman Lucas, again, for his support of my bill, and I urge
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Mike Garcia, Congresswoman Stevens,
and Congresswoman Lofgren, my colleague from California and the ranking
member. This is a good piece of legislation. Let's vote for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 7630, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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