Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to allow Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program grants to be used for participation in training programs and for purchase of training manuals and guidance materials specifically addressing security and resilience of community water systems, including preventing and responding to cyberattacks. It also updates the authorization period from the previously listed years (2020 and 2021) to a new multi‑year window (2026 through 2031).
Scope of federal role: liberals want guarantees funds reach disadvantaged systems; conservatives worry about federal overreach and bureaucracy.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that expands permissible grant uses under an existing drinking water program to include cybersecurity-related training and extends the program period.
This bill amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to allow Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Resilience Program grants to be used for participation in training programs and for purchase of training manuals and guidance materials specifically addressing security and resilience of community water systems, including preventing and responding to cyberattacks.
It also updates the authorization period from the previously listed years (2020 and 2021) to a new multi‑year window (2026 through 2031).
The changes explicitly add cybersecurity preparedness and response training as eligible grant activities for community water systems under section 1433(g).
On content alone this is a small, technocratic change to allow cybersecurity training under an existing grant program and to extend authorization years — characteristics that historically increase chances of enactment. The main practical dependencies are committee consideration, inclusion in a funding or infrastructure package, and subsequent appropriations; absent those procedural steps the text by itself does not force large policy disputes.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that expands permissible grant uses under an existing drinking water program to include cybersecurity-related training and extends the program period. It precisely identifies the statutory provision to be changed and the text to be inserted.
Scope of federal role: liberals want guarantees funds reach disadvantaged systems; conservatives worry about federal overreach and bureaucracy.
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Scope of federal role: liberals want guarantees funds reach disadvantaged systems; conservatives worry about federal overreach and bureaucracy.
This persona would generally view the bill positively as a targeted federal investment to protect public health infrastructure and vulnerable communities from cyber threats.
They would emphasize that water systems are essential services and that cyberattacks can cause disproportionate harm to low-income, rural, and historically marginalized communities.
They would welcome federal grant support for workforce development and resilience training, while wanting guarantees that funds reach small and disadvantaged systems.
A centrist would likely support the bill as a practical, narrowly focused measure to bolster resilience of critical infrastructure while seeking clarity about costs, oversight, and coordination.
They would appreciate that the bill targets cybersecurity training rather than creating broad new regulatory burdens but would want details about funding levels, matching requirements, and how this interacts with existing federal and state cyber programs.
They would favor measurable goals and interagency coordination (e.g., with EPA, CISA, and state authorities).
A mainstream conservative would view the bill with guarded acceptance on the basis that protecting drinking water and national infrastructure is legitimate, but would be wary of expanding federal programs and potential bureaucratic growth.
They would prefer solutions that maximize local control and minimize federal conditions, and would be concerned about recurring costs and whether this creates dependence on federal grants.
They may support the goal of cybersecurity for water systems but insist on limiting federal strings and ensuring efficient use of taxpayer dollars.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
On content alone this is a small, technocratic change to allow cybersecurity training under an existing grant program and to extend authorization years — characteristics that historically increase chances of enactment. The main practical dependencies are committee consideration, inclusion in a funding or infrastructure package, and subsequent appropriations; absent those procedural steps the text by itself does not force large policy disputes.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Scope of federal role: liberals want guarantees funds reach disadvantaged systems; conservatives worry about federal overreach and bureaucr…
On content alone this is a small, technocratic change to allow cybersecurity training under an existing grant program and to extend authori…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a focused statutory amendment that expands permissible grant uses under an existing drinking water program to include cybersecurity-related training and extends th…
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