Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act

Bill: 119-s-1018
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Introduced: 2025-03-13
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2025-03-13
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-03-13
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act </strong></p><p>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program to&nbsp;provide cybersecurity technical assistance for rural water and wastewater systems.</p><p>The program must be structured similarly to the USDA Circuit Rider Program. Under this program, USDA&nbsp;provides technical assistance to rural water systems that serve areas with populations of 10,000 or fewer people and are experiencing day-to-day operational, financial, or managerial issues.</p><p>Specifically, the cybersecurity circuit rider program must provide technical assistance to rural water or wastewater systems to</p><ul><li>provide rapid assessments of the system's current ability or inability to respond to cybersecurity&nbsp;threats and&nbsp;protect cyber infrastructure,</li><li>develop reasonable protocols to enhance&nbsp;cybersecurity protection,</li><li>provide assistance to address inadequate cyber protection plans, and</li><li>document a system's current state of water supply cyber protection.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

tv_txt: II 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1018 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 13, 2025 Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Rounds ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program to provide cybersecurity-related technical assistance to certain entities that operate rural water or wastewater systems.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act . 2. Rural water and wastewater cybersecurity circuit rider program Section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act ( 7 U.S.C. 1926(a) ) is amended by inserting after paragraph (22) the following: (23) Rural water and wastewater cybersecurity circuit rider program (A) In general The Secretary shall establish a cybersecurity circuit rider program, which shall be structured similarly to the circuit rider program under paragraph (22), to provide technical assistance to associations described in paragraph (1) that operate rural water or wastewater systems— (i) to provide rapid assessments of the current ability or inability of those associations— (I) to respond to cybersecurity threats; and (II) to protect the cyberinfrastructure of those associations and public health; (ii) to develop reasonable protocols to enhance cybersecurity protection; (iii) to provide assistance to address inadequate cyber protection plans; and (iv) to document the state of cyber protection with respect to the water supplies of those associations. (B) Report requirement A circuit rider that receives funding under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary a report documenting— (i) the associations served by the circuit rider under this paragraph; and (ii) the activities performed by the circuit rider under this paragraph. (C) Requirements for circuit riders To provide technical assistance under subparagraph (A), a circuit rider shall possess the necessary experience and certification to effectively carry out the activities described in that subparagraph, as determined by the Secretary. (D) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this paragraph $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. .