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Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program to provide cybersecurity-related technical assistance to certain entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems.
Summary
This bill establishes a cybersecurity circuit rider program to provide technical assistance to rural water and wastewater system operators. The program would assess their ability to respond to cybersecurity threats and protect their cyber infrastructure, help develop cybersecurity protection protocols, address inadequate cyber protection plans, and document the state of cybersecurity defenses. Circuit riders must possess necessary experience and certification as determined by the Secretary and must submit reports on associations served and activities performed. The bill authorizes $10 million per year for fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to fund the program.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD)
Actions (2)
- Mar 13, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. · senate
- Mar 13, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 13, 2025
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program to provide cybersecurity-related technical assistance to certain entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems.
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 “Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act”.
SEC. 2. RURAL WATER AND WASTEWATER CYBERSECURITY CIRCUIT RIDER PROGRAM.
Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (22) the following:
“(23) Rural water and wastewater cybersecurity circuit rider program.—
“(A) In general.—The Secretary shall establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program, which shall be structured similarly to the circuit rider program under paragraph (22), to provide technical assistance to associations described in paragraph (1) that operate rural water or wastewater systems—
“(i) to provide rapid assessments of the current ability or inability of those associations—
“(I) to respond to cybersecurity threats; and
“(II) to protect the cyberinfrastructure of those associations and public health;
“(ii) to develop reasonable protocols to enhance cybersecurity protection;
“(iii) to provide assistance to address inadequate cyber protection plans; and
“(iv) to document the state of cyber protection with respect to the water supplies of those associations.
“(B) Report requirement.—A circuit rider that receives funding under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary a report documenting—
“(i) the associations served by the circuit rider under this paragraph; and
“(ii) the activities performed by the circuit rider under this paragraph.
“(C) Requirements for circuit riders.—To provide technical assistance under subparagraph (A), a circuit rider shall possess the necessary experience and certification to effectively carry out the activities described in that subparagraph, as determined by the Secretary.
“(D) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.”. <all>
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