Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
This bill adds a new Rural Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity Circuit Rider Program to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. The Secretary must create a program, modeled on an existing circuit rider program, to provide technical assistance, rapid cybersecurity assessments, protocol development, and remediation help for associations operating rural water and wastewater systems.
Federal funding/role versus local/state control
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a new statutory program and funding stream to provide cybersecurity technical assistance to rural water and wastewater systems.
This bill adds a new Rural Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity Circuit Rider Program to the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.
The Secretary must create a program, modeled on an existing circuit rider program, to provide technical assistance, rapid cybersecurity assessments, protocol development, and remediation help for associations operating rural water and wastewater systems.
Circuit riders must report on associations served and activities performed, meet Secretary-determined certification requirements, and the bill authorizes $10 million per year for FY2025–2029.
Modest cost, technical focus, and bipartisan appeal raise likelihood; success depends on enactment vehicle and floor priorities.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a new statutory program and funding stream to provide cybersecurity technical assistance to rural water and wastewater systems. It articulates the core problem and desired assistance activities, authorizes funding, and sets basic requirements for certification and reporting, while deferring substantial operational detail to the Secretary and the existing circuit rider program structure.
Federal funding/role versus local/state control
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Federal funding/role versus local/state control
Likely supportive as a targeted federal investment to protect public health and vulnerable rural communities.
Would welcome technical assistance but push for larger, sustained funding and explicit inclusion of Tribal and disadvantaged systems.
Generally favorable because it is narrowly targeted and modeled on an existing program, but cautious about costs, oversight, and duplication.
Would want clear metrics, interagency coordination, and sunset or review provisions.
Skeptical about expanding federal roles and recurring spending, though sympathetic to protecting critical infrastructure.
Likely to push for state primacy, cost-sharing, stricter limits on federal involvement, and a tight sunset.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Modest cost, technical focus, and bipartisan appeal raise likelihood; success depends on enactment vehicle and floor priorities.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Federal funding/role versus local/state control
Modest cost, technical focus, and bipartisan appeal raise likelihood; success depends on enactment vehicle and floor priorities.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a new statutory program and funding stream to provide cybersecurity technical assistance to rural water and wastewater systems. It articulates the core proble…
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