HR 7625
Mts cyber act of 2026
Mts Cyber Act of 2026
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Bill overview
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review the Coast Guard’s budget, resources, and capabilities as the co-Sector Risk Management Agency (SRMA) for the marine transportation system. It aims to assess whether the Coast Guard has sufficient funding and personnel to protect the MTS against cyber threats, considering recent executive orders and cybersecurity regulations. The review will evaluate the Coast Guard’s ability to enforce cybersecurity requirements and provide guidance to industry stakeholders.
Key provisions
- The GAO must conduct a review of the Coast Guard’s budget and capabilities as the MTS SRMA.
- The review will assess the sufficiency of Coast Guard funding for cybersecurity personnel, training, and enforcement.
- The review will evaluate the Coast Guard’s personnel’s ability to ensure compliance with cybersecurity requirements.
- The review will assess the guidance provided to industry stakeholders on cybersecurity regulations.
- The report will be submitted to several Congressional committees.
- The review is mandated within 270 days of the bill’s enactment.
- The review considers statutory requirements and industry best practices.
- The review considers Executive Order 14116 and the Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System rule.
Who is affected
- Coast Guard
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Transportation
- Marine Transportation Industry
- Congress
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
Nicholas J. [R-AK-At Large] Begich
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 7625
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a review of the budget, resources, and capabilities of the Coast Guard as the co-Sector Risk Management Agency for the marine transportation system.
This Act may be cited as the Marine Transportation System Cybersecurity Budget and Evaluation Report Act of 2026 MTS CYBER Act of 2026
or the
.
Congress finds the following:
Maritime trade is essential to America’s economic stability, supporting $2,100,000,000,000 in economic activity, or 41.5 percent of the global trade value of the United States.
The increasing frequency and severity of cyber threats to the marine transportation system (hereinafter referred to as MTS
) presents economic and national security risks.
SRMAs) for the MTS under Presidential Policy Directive 21, with further delegation of responsibilities to agencies such as the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration as outlined in implementing documents.
Executive Order 14116, issued by President Biden in February 2024, expands the United States Coast Guard’s regulatory authorities to strengthen MTS cybersecurity.
The Coast Guard issued a final cybersecurity rule, Cybersecurity in the Marine Transportation System
, establishing mandatory incident reporting for regulated entities, significantly expanding the Coast Guard’s cybersecurity oversight responsibilities.
Through the Investing in America Agenda, the Biden administration dedicated $20,000,000,000 for United States port infrastructure, but it fails to specify cybersecurity-specific spending allocations to provide the Coast Guard with adequate resources and funding.
The Coast Guard remains underfunded and understaffed for the purpose of sector risk management.
The ability of the Coast Guard to fulfill SRMA duties is contingent upon adequate budgetary resources and a healthy workforce.
A Government Accountability Office audit is necessary to assess the budget and capabilities of the Coast Guard as an SRMA to ensure it can fulfill responsibilities for protecting the MTS against cyber threats.
Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review to assess the funding and resource needs of the Coast Guard to fulfill the SRMA responsibilities of the Coast Guard, including—
the ability of Coast Guard personnel to evaluate compliance with cybersecurity requirements for regulated entities; and
the sufficiency of guidance provided to industry stakeholders on implementing and complying with cyber regulations, assessed against applicable statutory requirements, Federal regulatory benchmarks, and widely recognized industry best practices for maritime cybersecurity.
The Comptroller General shall submit the findings and recommendations from the review required under subsection (a) to—
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives.
In this Act:
The term marine transportation system means navigable waterways, ports, terminals, intermodal connections, vessels, and related infrastructure that facilitate the movement of goods and people by water.
The term Sector Risk Management Agency or SRMA
has the meaning given the term Sector Risk Management Agency
in section 2200 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 650).