PILLAR Act

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5078, the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience Act, known as the PILLAR Act.

This legislation is about strengthening the first line of defense in our Nation's cybersecurity. While we often focus on Federal networks and high-profile national systems, the reality is that many of the services Americans depend on every single day are run by State and local governments.

When a resident pays a utility bill online, when a police department dispatches an officer, or when a hospital connects to a county network, all of those activities rely on State and local systems that are now squarely in the sights of foreign adversaries and criminal groups.

As a former county executive in Tennessee, I saw firsthand how limited budgets, aging systems, and staffing constraints can leave local governments struggling to keep up with modern cyber threats.

Many smaller jurisdictions only operate with a handful of IT staff and, in some cases, with none at all. Yet, they are expected to defend against the same nation-state actors that target major corporations and Federal agencies. That is not a fair fight, and it is not a sustainable model for national security.

The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program at the Department of Homeland Security was created to help close that gap by providing targeted assistance to those States, territories, and local governments so that they can assess the risk, modernize outdated systems, and build real cyber resilience.

The PILLAR Act reauthorizes and strengthens this program so that it reflects the threat environment we face today and the technological landscape that State and local partners are actually operating in.

This bill makes several important updates. It ensures that the program covers not only traditional information technology systems but also operational technology and systems that incorporate artificial intelligence. That means that we are recognizing the reality that cyber risk now extends to everything from industrial control systems at water treatment plants to connected devices at public safety networks to AI- enabled tools used by local agencies.

The bill encourages the adoption of basic but powerful best practices, such as multifactor authentication and stronger identity and access management tools across State and local networks.

It promotes continuous vulnerability assessment and monitoring so that jurisdictions can detect and mitigate threats before those threats turn into major incidents. It also emphasizes the importance of good cyber hygiene, modern configuration management, and alignment with frameworks developed by CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Importantly, the PILLAR Act recognizes that not all communities start from the same place. It directs outreach and support to rural areas and jurisdictions with small populations, which are often the least resourced but still operate critical services.

It encourages partnerships with academic and nonprofit organizations, including cybersecurity clinics and other technical assistance providers that can help these communities develop and implement their cyber plans. This bill also guards against the use of Federal grant dollars on technology that introduces additional risk.

It prohibits the use of funds to purchase software or hardware from foreign entities of concern when those products do not align with CISA guidance, and it directs grantees to follow secure-by-design recommendations so that public money is not spent on tools that undermine security.

We also provide more predictability around cost share requirements so that States and local governments can plan over the long term.

The legislation maintains a strong Federal commitment while encouraging jurisdictions to invest in sustaining the improvements they make.

For those that implement multifactor authentication and related protections by a certain date, the bill provides additional flexibility in the Federal cost share to reward that proactive work.

This is a bipartisan bill. I am proud to have worked closely with Chairman Garbarino and Representatives Swalwell and Evans on this critical legislation, and appreciate the support it has received from Members on both sides of the aisle.

We share the same goal, which is to help our communities defend themselves against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and to ensure continuity of essential services for the American people.

Supporting the PILLAR Act is about more than technology. It is about public trust. When a local government falls victim to ransomware and emergency services are delayed, when a school district loses student records, or when basic services are interrupted, citizens lose confidence in those institutions.

This bill helps prevent those outcomes by equipping State and local leaders with the resources and tools they need to prepare.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5078 and to stand with the State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners who are on the front lines of our cyber defense every day.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5078) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the State and local cybersecurity grant program of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5078.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5078, the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience Act, also known as the PILLAR Act.

Madam Speaker, I first thank Congressman Ogles for his leadership in bringing forward this bipartisan bill.

Cybersecurity is often discussed in the context of national systems, but the truth is that many of the most disruptive incidents occur in our own communities.

In recent years, local governments across the country have experienced attacks that shut down city services, delayed school operations, locked police and court records, and forced jurisdictions of all sizes to spend significant funds on recovery. These events may not always make national headlines, but they have real consequences for families, businesses, and public safety.

Some of these attacks come from criminal ransomware groups, while others originate from foreign adversaries that seek to test the resilience of American communities. The Committee on Homeland Security has monitored these trends closely.

A recent cyber-threat snapshot shows that the majority of States have experienced significant cyber incidents at the local level this year, and many of those incidents targeted smaller jurisdictions that have limited staff, outdated systems, and fewer resources to defend themselves.

Finally, this bill is the product of bipartisan work. It passed through the Committee on Homeland Security with support from Members across the political spectrum. I especially thank Representatives Swalwell and Evans for their work alongside myself and Congressman Ogles to advance this important legislation. That cooperation reflects a shared recognition that cybersecurity cannot be approached through a partisan lens.

By passing the PILLAR Act, the House can reaffirm its commitment to our State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. When our communities are more secure, our entire Nation is more secure.

I thank Congressman Ogles, again, for his leadership in bringing forward this bipartisan bill.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5078, and I reserve the balance of my time

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Ogles).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5078, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5078, which reauthorizes the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program until 2033.

First established 4 years ago in the bipartisan infrastructure law based on legislation authored by Representative Yvette Clarke, the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has provided $1 billion in funding for State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments so that they can strengthen their cyber defenses.

Earlier this year, the Cybersecurity Subcommittee held a hearing to evaluate the program and receive testimony from the National League of Cities, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, and one of the Nation's top cybersecurity firms. Their assessment was clear: The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has worked.

From Connecticut to Kentucky to Utah, the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program has forged partnerships that have helped detect and thwart attacks, built resilience, and stretched dollars further.

From municipal services to our school systems, the services that our constituents rely on every day are more secure today than they were 4 years ago, but our work is not done. Despite the impressive progress that State and local governments have made to improve their cybersecurity posture, many jurisdictions across the country, particularly rural areas, remain unacceptably vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Every day, State and local governments must defend against cyber intrusions from transnational criminal gangs and nation-state adversaries. The Federal Government has an obligation to leverage its resources, expertise, and intelligence to defend our State and local governments from these sophisticated threats.

There are no other circumstances under which we would expect a State or local government to defend itself from an attack from a state actor, particularly from China, Russia, or Iran. With this essential program's authorization set to expire on January 30, enacting a long-term reauthorization will help provide stability to the program and, importantly, build a case for appropriating more funding for it.

At a time when the Trump administration has been cutting vital cybersecurity resources for State and local governments, such as the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, it is more important than ever that Congress step up to provide more funding for State and local cybersecurity.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5078, and I yield back the balance of my time.