Issue: ORN-2026-04

Tech Bills of the Week: Measures seek to boost cyber posture of utilities: Pipeline Cybersecurity: Preparedness Act: The bill, led by Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, would direct the Energy Department to stand up a program aimed at strengthening the physical security and cybersecurity of U.S. pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities. Energy would be responsible for improving information sharing and coordination across the sector to bolster the resilience and survivability of natural gas and hazardous liquid infrastructure.

Under the proposal, Energy would also take a lead role in coordinating federal, state and industry response and recovery efforts following physical or cyber incidents. The measure calls for the development of voluntary cybersecurity tools and technologies, pilot security demonstration projects and workforce training curricula.

Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, rolled out legislation that would rename and expand an existing program under the 2021 infrastructure law to create the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, aimed at bolstering cyber defenses at smaller electric utilities. It would authorize Energy to provide grants, technical assistance, cooperative agreements and prizes to rural electric cooperatives, municipal and other publicly owned utilities, certain nonprofit partnerships and smaller investor-owned utilities to help them prevent, detect, respond to and recover from cyber threats.

The proposal would prioritize funding for utilities with limited cybersecurity resources or those that operate infrastructure critical to the bulk power system or national defense. It would also encourage greater participation in threat-information sharing programs and protect sensitive cybersecurity information shared through the program from public disclosure laws. The bill would authorize $250 million in funding over fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

SECURE Grid Act

Sponsored by Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, the measure would update federal energy security planning requirements to more explicitly account for risks facing local electric distribution systems. It seeks to amend existing law to define local distribution infrastructure as utility-owned systems operating at 100 kilovolts or less, and would require state energy security plans to more fully assess threats to those systems, including extreme weather, supply chain disruptions and cyberattacks that could cascade into the broader bulk power system.

Reps. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., and Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, teamed up to introduce the Expanding AI Voices Act, a new bill that codifies the National Science Foundation’s ExpandAI program. The NSF initiative increases access to artificial intelligence education and workforce development.

The bill accomplishes this by:

• Expanding access to minority-serving Institutions, rural universities and first-generation students.
• Linking ExpandAI with eligible awardees and participants in the NSF’s National AI Research Institutes.
• Incorporating activities that integrate “ethical and responsible practices and principles” into AI education and related disciplines. 

In a press release, Foushee said “as Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforms our economy and society, Congress must ensure that working Americans and communities across the country can participate in, and benefit from the jobs and opportunity that AI creates.” More information is posted on the NextGov website.