Small Business Cyber Security Improvements Act of 2016

Bill: 114-s-3024
Sponsor: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2016-06-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business education
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Government studies and investigations
Homeland security
Small business

Summary:
action_date: 2016-06-06
text: 

Small Business Cyber Security Improvements Act of 2016

 
This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy after the Government Accountability Office submits a report that reviews the cybersecurity resources of federal agencies aimed at assisting small businesses. The strategy must include:
 
 
plans for incorporating small business development centers (SBDCs) into cyber programs to assist small businesses;
 
counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and
 
an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal agency programs and develop partnerships to improve cyber support services to small businesses.
 
 
The Small Business Act is amended to authorize the SBA to make SBDC grants in furtherance of such strategy. SBDCs shall provide access to external cyber security specialists to counsel small businesses.
 
DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS may assist SBDCs, through the dissemination of cyber security risk information and other homeland security information, to help small businesses in developing such cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.

action_date: 2016-06-09
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

Small Business Cyber Security Improvements Act of 2016

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Small Business Act to authorize the Small Business Administration (SBA) to make grants to small business development centers (SBDCs) in furtherance of a Small Business Development Center Cyber Strategy to be developed by the SBA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) submits a report that reviews the cybersecurity resources of federal agencies aimed at assisting small businesses.
 SBDCs shall provide access to external cyber security specialists to counsel small businesses. 
(Sec. 3) DHS and other federal agencies coordinating with DHS may assist SBDCs, through the dissemination of cyber security risk information and other homeland security information, to help small businesses in developing such cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and employee training programs.
 
(Sec. 4) The GAO's cyber resources report must include: (1) an accounting, description, and assessment of the utilization of federal agency programs that provide cybersecurity assistance to small businesses; and (2) an assessment of whether the resources are duplicative of other programs or accessible to small businesses.
 
The SBA and DHS must include in their SBDC cyber strategy:
 
 
plans for incorporating SBDCs into cyber programs to assist small businesses; 
 
counsel and assistance to improve small businesses' cyber security infrastructure, threat awareness, and training programs for employees, including agreements with Information Sharing and Analysis Centers to gain awareness of actionable threat information that may be beneficial to small businesses; and 
 
an analysis of how SBDCs can leverage federal agency programs and develop partnerships to improve cyber support services to small businesses. 
 
 
The SBA's and DHS's strategy must be developed in consultation with entities representing SBDC concerns and submitted to Congress.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-12-20
text: By Senator Vitter from Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-423.
action_date: 2016-12-20
text: By Senator Vitter from Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-423.
action_date: 2016-06-09
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 511.
action_date: 2016-06-09
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Vitter without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-06-09
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Reported by Senator Vitter without amendment. Without written report.
action_date: 2016-06-08
text: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2016-06-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
action_date: 2016-06-06
text: Introduced in Senate