Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 7266
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Passed House
- Latest Action
- 2026-07-13: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-08-20T13:50:36Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation reauthorizes and updates a federal grant and technical assistance program to help rural and municipal electric utilities strengthen their defenses against cyber threats.
Key Provisions
- Establishes the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program under the Department of Energy.
- Defines key terms, including advanced cybersecurity technology (tools that improve protection, detection, response, or recovery from cyber threats), eligible entities (rural cooperatives, municipally owned utilities, certain not-for-profits, and small investor-owned utilities selling under 4 million megawatt hours annually), and related infrastructure terms from existing energy laws.
- Sets program objectives to deploy advanced cybersecurity tools and increase participation in threat information-sharing efforts.
- Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to award grants, cooperative agreements, prizes, and technical assistance on a competitive or noncompetitive basis, with priority given to entities with limited resources, those owning critical bulk-power system assets, or those operating defense critical electric infrastructure.
- Protects information shared with federal, state, tribal, or local governments under the program from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act and similar state laws.
- Authorizes $250,000,000 in appropriations for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill replaces the original Section 40124 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with updated language that extends funding and refines program rules. It maintains core structure while adding explicit priorities for funding and clarifying protections for shared cybersecurity information.
Potential Impacts
- Strengthens cybersecurity capabilities for smaller and rural electric utilities, potentially improving overall electric grid reliability.
- Supports the Department of Energy in distributing resources to eligible entities without creating new regulatory mandates.
- Enhances information-sharing practices among utilities and governments while limiting public access to sensitive details.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned utilities.
- Small investor-owned electric utilities.
- The Department of Energy (as the administering agency).
- Electric utility customers in rural and municipal areas.
- Entities involved in bulk-power system reliability and defense-related infrastructure.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure includes standard protections for voluntarily shared cybersecurity information to encourage participation. No new constitutional issues are introduced; the bill operates within existing federal authority over energy infrastructure and cybersecurity assistance programs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1]
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4], Rep. Harshbarger, Diana [R-TN-1]
Recent Actions
- 2026-07-13: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2026-06-29: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-06-29: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4299)
- 2026-06-29: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4299)
- 2026-06-29: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7266.
- 2026-06-29: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4299-4300)
- 2026-06-29: Mr. Guthrie moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 2026-04-30: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 545.
- 2026-04-30: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-629.
- 2026-04-30: Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-629.
- 2026-02-04: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- 2026-02-04: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-01-27: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
- 2026-01-27: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2026-01-27: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act — issued 2026-06-29 — PDF (8 pages)
- Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act — issued 2026-01-27 — PDF (6 pages)
- Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act — issued 2026-07-13 — PDF (6 pages)
- Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act — issued 2026-04-30 — PDF (8 pages)