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
- 2026-06-29: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-01T08:06:48Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation This Act reauthorizes and updates the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program originally established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Its main goal is to help smaller electric utilities strengthen their defenses against cyber threats to the electric grid.
Key Provisions Outlined
- Short Title: The legislation is named the "Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act."
- Program Establishment: The Secretary of Energy must maintain the program to offer technical assistance and distribute funding (through grants, cooperative agreements, and prizes) to eligible entities.
- Eligible Entities: These include rural electric cooperatives, municipally owned utilities, utilities owned by state political subdivisions, certain not-for-profit partnerships, and small investor-owned utilities selling less than 4,000,000 megawatt hours per year.
- Objectives: The program aims to deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies and encourage greater participation in cybersecurity threat information sharing.
- Award Process: Funding and assistance are provided on a competitive or noncompetitive basis, with priority given to entities that have limited cybersecurity resources, own assets critical to the bulk-power system, or operate defense critical electric infrastructure.
- Information Protection: Data shared under the program is treated as voluntarily shared and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act or similar state, tribal, or local laws.
- Funding Authorization: Up to $250,000,000 is authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
Significant Changes to Existing Law Introduced The Act replaces the entire existing Section 40124 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with updated language. This includes new or refined definitions for terms such as "advanced cybersecurity technology," "cybersecurity threat," and "eligible entity," along with expanded criteria for awards and stronger protections for shared information. It extends the program's authorization period with new funding levels.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The Department of Energy gains ongoing responsibility for administering the program, including developing award criteria and ensuring outreach to eligible entities.
- Citizens: Improved cybersecurity for electric utilities could reduce risks of power outages or disruptions from cyber incidents, indirectly benefiting the public through greater grid reliability.
- International Relations: No direct effects are specified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Rural electric cooperatives and municipally owned electric utilities.
- Small investor-owned utilities and not-for-profit partnerships with utilities.
- The Department of Energy (as the administering agency).
- Entities operating critical electric infrastructure, including those tied to defense needs.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill strengthens information-sharing protections by exempting program-related data from public disclosure laws, which supports voluntary collaboration between utilities and government. It references existing statutes such as the Federal Power Act and the Homeland Security Act for definitions, ensuring consistency with broader energy and security frameworks. No constitutional issues are addressed in the text.
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
- 2026-06-29: 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
- 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 2026-04-30 — PDF (8 pages)