SECURE Small Business Act

Bill: 117-s-161
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2021-02-02
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Business education

Computer security and identity theft

Congressional oversight

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Small business
Latest action: action_date: 2021-02-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-02-02
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity Usage to Reach Every Small Business Act or the SECURE Small Business Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to help small businesses purchase cybersecurity products and services.</p> <p>Specifically, the SBA must establish a website that provides a marketplace for facilitating agreements under which small businesses may cooperatively purchase cybersecurity products and services. Such website shall be free to use for small businesses and cybersecurity vendors. The SBA must also take steps to educate small businesses about the types of cybersecurity products and services that are specific to each industry sector and provide outreach to encourage use of the cooperative marketplace.</p> <p>The Government Accountability Office must study and report on potential improvements to existing federal initiatives that train small businesses on how to avoid cybersecurity threats. </p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 161 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 2, 2021 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself, Mr. Risch , and Ms. Rosen ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship A BILL To require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish a program to assist small business concerns with purchasing cybersecurity products and services, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity Usage to Reach Every Small Business Act or the SECURE Small Business Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Small Business Administration. (2) Covered industry sectors The term covered industry sectors means the following industry sectors: (A) Accommodation and food services. (B) Agriculture. (C) Construction. (D) Healthcare and social assistance. (E) Retail and wholesale trade. (F) Transportation and warehousing. (G) Entertainment and recreation. (H) Finance and insurance. (I) Manufacturing. (J) Information and telecommunications. (K) Any other industry sector that the Administrator determines to be relevant. (3) Covered vendor The term covered vendor means a vendor of cybersecurity products and services, including cybersecurity risk insurance. (4) Cybersecurity The term cybersecurity means— (A) the art of protecting networks, devices, and data from unauthorized access or criminal use; and (B) the practice of ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. (5) Cybersecurity threat The term cybersecurity threat means the possibility of a malicious attempt to infiltrate, damage, disrupt, or destroy computer networks or systems. (6) Small business concern The term small business concern has the meaning given the term in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act ( 15 U.S.C. 632(a) ). 3. Cybersecurity cooperative marketplace program (a) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall establish a program to assist small business concerns with purchasing cybersecurity products and services. (b) Duties In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Administrator shall— (1) educate small business concerns about the types of cybersecurity products and services that are specific to each covered industry sector; and (2) provide outreach to covered vendors and small business concerns to encourage use of the cooperative marketplace described in subsection (c). (c) Cooperative marketplace for purchasing cybersecurity products and services The Administrator shall— (1) establish and maintain a website that— (A) is free to use for small business concerns and covered vendors; and (B) provides a cooperative marketplace that facilitates the creation of mutual agreements under which small business concerns cooperatively purchase cybersecurity products and services from covered vendors; and (2) determine whether each covered vendor and each small business concern that participates in the marketplace described in paragraph (1) is legitimate, as determined by the Administrator. (d) Sunset This section ceases to be effective on September 30, 2024. 4. GAO study on available Federal cybersecurity initiatives (a) In general The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that identifies any improvements that could be made to Federal initiatives that— (1) train small business concerns how to avoid cybersecurity threats; and (2) are in effect on the date on which the Comptroller General commences the study. (b) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report that contains the results of the study required under subsection (a).