I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3878 

To enhance cybersecurity information sharing and coordination at ports in 

the United States, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 2, 2015 

Mrs. TORRES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To enhance cybersecurity information sharing and coordination at ports in the United States, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Cyber5 security Information Sharing and Coordination in Our 

6 Ports Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ENHANCING CYBERSECURITY SITUATIONAL 

2 AWARENESS AND INFORMATION SHARING. 

3 Not later than 30 days after the date of the enact4 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

5 seek to enhance cybersecurity situational awareness and 

6 information sharing between and with maritime security 

7 stakeholders, by— 

8 (1) directing the Under Secretary responsible 

9 for overseeing critical infrastructure protection, cy10 bersecurity, and other related programs of the De11 partment of Homeland Security, in consultation with 

12 the Commandant of the Coast Guard, to seek to en13 hance participation by the Maritime Information 

14 Sharing and Analysis Center (an independent, non15 profit entity sponsored and managed by the Mari16 time Security Council) in the National Cybersecurity 

17 and Communications Integration Center, pursuant 

18 to section 226(d)(1)(B) of the Homeland Security 

19 Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 148(d)(1)(B)); and 

20 (2) requesting that the National Maritime Se21 curity Advisory Committee established under section 

22 70112 of title 46, United States Code, report and 

23 make recommendations to the Secretary on matters 

24 relating to methods to enhance cybersecurity situa25 tional awareness and information sharing between 

26 and with maritime security stakeholders, including 


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1 the establishment of a council to facilitate national2 level sharing of security information and coordina3 tion of strategies to mitigate cybersecurity risks in 

4 the maritime sector. 

5 SEC. 3. IMPROVING CYBERSECURITY INFORMATION SHAR6 ING AT PORTS. 

7 The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through 

8 the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in coordination with 

9 the Under Secretary responsible for overseeing critical in10 frastructure protection, cybersecurity, and other related 

11 programs of the Department of Homeland Security, shall 

12 direct each captain of the port designated under section 

13 634 of title 14, United States Code, to establish a working 

14 group of members of Area Maritime Security Advisory 

15 Committees established under section 70112 of title 46, 

16 United States Code, to facilitate the sharing of informa17 tion about and development of plans to address port-spe18 cific cybersecurity vulnerabilities. 

19 SEC. 4. AREA MARITIME SECURITY PLANS. 

20 The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through 

21 the Commandant of the Coast Guard, shall require that 

22 any Area Maritime Security Plan and facility security plan 

23 required by section 70103 of title 46, United States Code, 

24 that is approved after the date of enactment of this Act 

25 address cyber threats and vulnerabilities and include mitiVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 03, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3878.IH H3878

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1 gation measures to prevent, manage, and respond to such 

2 threats and vulnerabilities. 

3 SEC. 5. CYBER RISK ASSESSMENT. 

4 The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure 

5 that any maritime security risk assessment prepared by 

6 the Department of Homeland Security after the date of 

7 the enactment of this Act shall include cybersecurity risks 

8 to ports and the maritime border of the United States. 

9 SEC. 6. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

10 (a) STATUS UPDATES.—The Secretary of Homeland 

11 Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Se12 curity of the House of Representatives and the Committee 

13 on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 

14 Senate— 

15 (1) not later than one year after the date of the 

16 enactment of this Act and on an annual basis there17 after, information on the actions taken pursuant to 

18 this Act and their impact and effectiveness at en19 hancing cybersecurity situational awareness and in20 formation sharing between and with maritime secu21 rity stakeholders; and 

22 (2) not later than 90 days after receiving rec23 ommendations from the National Maritime Security 

24 Advisory Committee pursuant to section 2, the adviVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:39 Nov 03, 2015 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3878.IH H3878

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1 sory committee recommendations and any feedback 

2 from the Secretary regarding such recommendations. 

3 SEC. 7. MARITIME SECURITY STAKEHOLDERS DEFINED. 

4 In this Act the term ‘‘maritime security stake5 holders’’ means appropriate Federal, State, local, and trib6 al governments; public safety and emergency response 

7 agencies; law enforcement and security organizations; 

8 maritime industry participants; port owners and opera9 tors; and maritime terminal owners and operators. 

Æ 


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