Overview

Title

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide grants under the Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program for training programs relating to protecting public water systems from and responding to cyberattacks, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

This bill wants to help keep our water safe from computer hackers by giving money for special training programs. It makes sure there's enough money to do this until the year 2030.

Summary AI

H.R. 10483, titled the "Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act," proposes amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act to enhance protections against cyberattacks on public water systems in the United States. It aims to provide grants for training programs that focus on improving the security and resilience of water infrastructure, with specific emphasis on cyberattack prevention and response. The bill extends the authorization of appropriations for these activities through 2030.

Published

2024-12-18
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2024-12-18
Package ID: BILLS-118hr10483ih

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
294
Pages:
2
Sentences:
8

Language

Nouns: 101
Verbs: 25
Adjectives: 7
Adverbs: 1
Numbers: 11
Entities: 23

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.50
Average Sentence Length:
36.75
Token Entropy:
4.44
Readability (ARI):
21.47

AnalysisAI

The Safe Drinking Water Act has been proposed for amendment through H. R. 10483, formally known as the “Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act.” This bill, introduced in the House of Representatives, is primarily focused on bolstering the cybersecurity framework of public water systems by providing grants for training programs. These programs are aimed at equipping community water systems with the knowledge and resources to both protect against and respond to cyberattacks. The act also seeks to extend the authorization of funding for these initiatives through the year 2030.

General Summary

The proposed legislation aims to amend the existing Safe Drinking Water Act to enhance the security and resilience of public water systems in the United States. By doing so, it introduces funding avenues for training personnel and acquiring materials necessary for cybersecurity preparedness and response activities. According to the bill, these amendments would have guaranteed funding from now until 2030, underscoring a long-term commitment to safeguarding critical water infrastructure against modern cyber threats.

Significant Issues

There are a few notable aspects of the bill that warrant discussion. Firstly, the bill text includes a minor formatting issue in the short title section, which lacks a space, hinting at slight inattention in drafting. More importantly, the extension of funding through 2030 is a major fiscal consideration, involving federal budget allocations over a substantial period. This forward-looking funding strategy is intended to ensure sustained efforts in enhancing cybersecurity defenses in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.

Broad Public Impact

The bill can potentially have a broad public impact by ensuring that water systems remain secure and resilient against cyber threats. By safeguarding the operational integrity of water infrastructure, the public benefits from uninterrupted access to safe drinking water. Moreover, as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure can lead to significant disruptions and potential public health crises, investing in cybersecurity training lays a foundation for increased resilience and reliability of these vital services.

Impact on Stakeholders

For stakeholders such as community water system operators, cybersecurity experts, and governmental agencies, the bill presents both opportunities and challenges. Operators stand to benefit from enhanced support and resources to improve their cybersecurity readiness. Cybersecurity professionals may see increased demand for their expertise in designing and conducting the training programs funded by the grants. On the other hand, the requirement for federal budget allocations through 2030 means that legislative champions will need to balance these commitments against other pressing needs in federal spending priorities.

Overall, the "Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act" highlights the urgency of addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities within public water systems. By targeting this niche yet critical area, the bill demonstrates a legislative commitment to adapting to the sophisticated challenges posed by cyber threats in the modern age.

Issues

  • The text 'SECTION 1.Short title.' lacks a space between '1.' and 'Short', which may indicate a formatting issue. This could reflect on the professionalism and attention to detail in the drafting process.

  • The bill details an extension of funding in SEC. 2 (b) by amending the Safe Drinking Water Act to authorize appropriations through 2030. This amendment has implications for the federal budget and allocation of resources over the next several years.

  • While the short title section doesn't contain substantive issues, it is important as the title 'Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act' indicates the focus on cybersecurity, a significant issue given increasing threats to critical infrastructure systems, including water systems.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of this Act is a short title, indicating that the official name of the legislation is the “Water Cybersecurity Enhancement Act”.

2. Community water system risk and resilience Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to allow funds to be used for training programs and materials that help protect public water systems against cyberattacks and improve response to such threats. It also extends the authorization of funding until 2030.