Correction of H.R. 5823

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, an error occurred when the House passed H.R. 5823, the ``State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act,'' as amended on September 30, 2020. The text of the bill that passed the House failed to represent an amendment offered by the gentlelady from Michigan, Congresswoman Slotkin, that was adopted on a bipartisan basis by the Full Committee on Homeland Security on February 12, 2020. The amendment, which was agreed to by unanimous consent, allowed for cooperative programs developed by groups of local governments and for State programs to support local governments and critical infrastructure owners and operators in addressing cybersecurity risks and threats to be included in the state's cybersecurity plan and thus be eligible for grant funding. At this juncture, with the measure pending with the Senate, I stand committed to restoring the erroneously omitted language in any House-Senate negotiations. Furthermore, should the 116th Congress close without the bill being enacted into law, I am committed to bringing the bill to the floor again in the next Congress with this important language. I want to commend my colleague for her contributions to the bill and to the Committee on Homeland Security. I have included the text of the amendment as approved by the Committee. offered by ms. slotkin of michigan

Page 6, beginning line 10, insert the following:

(2) Discretionary Elements.--The Cybersecurity Plan of a State described in paragraph (1) may include--

(A) cooperative programs developed by groups of local, Tribal, and territorial governments within such State to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats; and

(B) programs provided by such State to support local, Tribal, and territorial governments and critical infrastructure owners and operators to address cybersecurity risks and cybersecurity threats.

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