Future Trends

Proposed Legislation to Support State, Local Gov’t Fight Cyber Threats

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill Monday that aims to help state and local governments combat cyber threats and potential vulnerabilities. The proposed legislation would establish a $400 million grant program at the Department of Homeland Security and will require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to develop a plan to improve localities' cybersecurity. The State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act would also create a committee to help inform CISA on what jurisdictions need to help protect themselves from breaches, The Hill reported. The House Homeland Security Committee is slated to hold a markup on the measure on Wednesday. A similar bill is being pushed in the upper chamber.