February 10, 2022 | Cole Karr

The National Special Districts Coalition on Monday communicated to the House Homeland Security Committee its support for the bipartisan State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2021.

The legislation – H.R. 5960 (Neguse) and S. 2520 (Peters) –  would allow the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity agencies to enhance communication of vital information regarding potential cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and breaches to state and local governments. The bills would also authorize federal resources to help state and local governments to prevent and recover from future cyberattacks.

NSDC’s February 7 letter to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and Ranking Member John Katko, R-N.Y., urges them to consider and pass this important legislation.

“It is vital that special districts and other public agencies receive accurate and timely information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to bolster their awareness of potential cyber threats,” the letter reads “Furthermore, the collaboration this bill would foster would be extremely valuable for special districts across the country.”

The letter continues: “As NSDC advocates for all special districts through federal advocacy to promote equitable access to programs available to local governments, the Coalition supports the State and Local Government Cybersecurity Act of 2021. Policies contained within the legislation would be essential to efficiently delivering public services to millions of Americans and would foster an environment of added protection from cyber threats.”

The Senate unanimously passed S. 2520 on January 11, 2022., H.R. 5960 was introduced in the U.S. House on November 12, 2021. Both bills are currently pending before the House Committee on Homeland Security.