House Passes Networking and Information Technology R&D and Cybersecurity R&D Legislation
(Washington, DC) – As part of “cyber week,” the House of Representatives today passed H.R. 967, the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, and H.R. 756, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013.
H.R. 967 reauthorizes the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) program. NITRD is a multi-agency research initiative designed to ensure continued U.S. leadership in computing systems, advanced networking, software, and other information technologies. The program has developed the computing and networking infrastructure needed to support leading edge research and to drive technology forward for a range of commercial applications that have the potential to benefit society broadly. NIT influences a multitude of sectors such as national security, healthcare, manufacturing, and communications, among others.
Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said in her floor statement, “NIT technologies cut across every sector of our economy and our national defense infrastructure. Our relatively modest 20-year investment in the NITRD program has contributed immeasurably to our economic and national security by enabling innovation and job creation in NIT and providing American students with the skills to fill those jobs. Let’s reauthorize this program today and ensure it remains strong.”
H.R. 756 would, among other things, require federal agencies to create a strategic plan guiding the overall direction of federal cybersecurity research and development (R&D); reauthorize cybersecurity research at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST); authorize scholarships for students in the cybersecurity field in exchange for federal government service; require NIST to coordinate an interagency cybersecurity awareness and education program; and require the creation of a university-industry task force to increase collaboration between the public and private sectors on cybersecurity R&D. The bill is nearly identical to the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2012 which passed the House by a vote of 395-10 and similar to the 2010 bill which passed the House by a vote of 422-5. Neither bill was taken up by the Senate.
“Cybersecurity is a critical issue and it becomes more important by the day,” said Ms. Johnson. “Addressing the issue will not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. H.R. 756 will help build up our cybersecurity capabilities through research and education. This is a good bipartisan bill that should be included in any comprehensive effort to keep our Nation, our businesses, and our citizens safe from malicious cybersecurity attacks.”
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Research Subcommittee, said, “When I began working on this bill in 2010 it was clear that our use of the Internet and other communication networks would continue to grow and evolve, and that threats from individual hackers, criminal syndicates, and other governments would grow and evolve too. This has turned out to be all too true. Just last month, the Director of National Intelligence testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that the danger of cyber-attacks and cyber-espionage on crucial infrastructure tops the list of global threats. I believe that we face the possibility of a cyber “Pearl Harbor” that could destroy America’s military or economic security. We have already seen the loss of countless jobs through cyber espionage and we face – and thankfully, so far, we have repelled – much worse attacks every day. It is now more important than ever that we get this legislation across the finish line and onto the President’s desk.”
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