Following the recent introduction in the U.S. Senate of a companion bill to one sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) in the House of Representatives that would establish a federal cybersecurity advisory committee, the congressman on Tuesday called for immediate consideration of his bipartisan bill.
“This bill enjoys bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress,” Rep. Katko said. “I urge congressional leaders to act now to swiftly consider and pass this commonsense measure.”
Rep. Katko in March 2019 sponsored the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Authorization Act of 2019, H.R. 1975, with original cosponsors including U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), which would require the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to establish a cybersecurity advisory committee within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The committee would be comprised of highly skilled cybersecurity professionals responsible for protecting enterprises from every major business sector.
U.S. Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) on June 22 introduced companion legislation, the same-named S. 4024, in their chamber.
“I am pleased to see Senators Perdue and Sinema introduce the Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Authorization Act, in the Senate today,” said Rep. Katko. “By providing industry experts as well as state and local government officials with the ability to provide direct input, this legislation enhances CISA’s ability to secure our nation’s wide range of networks and critical systems.”
Rep. Katko pointed out that during the past few years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an uptick in cyberattacks that have compromised personal data, proprietary information, and in many cases crippled operations for businesses and governments.
“This bill aims to better secure our nation and protect against evolving cyberthreats by creating a public-private committee at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,” he said.