S 1018119th CongressIn Committee

Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act

Introduced: Mar 13, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill, introduced in the Senate as S. 1018 and titled the Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act, would amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to create a cybersecurity circuit rider program. The program would provide targeted technical assistance to associations operating rural water or wastewater systems. Its goals are to quickly assess each association’s ability to respond to cybersecurity threats, help develop protective protocols, address weak cyber protection plans, and document the overall state of cyber protection for rural drinking water and related public health infrastructure. The program is modeled after the existing circuit rider approach used in rural development and would be funded with $10 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. Circuit riders would be required to report to the Secretary on the associations served and the activities performed, and they must meet specified experience and certification requirements. Sponsor: Senator Cortez Masto (with Senator Rounds). The bill envisions a federal program administered by the Secretary (likely of Agriculture) to bolster cybersecurity for rural water systems, aiming to protect public health by strengthening the cyber defenses of small- and mid-sized utilities that serve rural communities.

Key Points

1Establishes a Rural Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity Circuit Rider Program within the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, modeled after the existing circuit rider program.
2Purpose and activities: circuit riders will provide technical assistance to rural water/wastewater associations to (i) rapidly assess threat response capabilities and protection of cyberinfrastructure, (ii) develop protocols to enhance cybersecurity, (iii) help address inadequate cyber protection plans, and (iv) document the cyber protection status of the water supplies.
3Reporting requirements: circuit riders funded under this program must submit a report to the Secretary detailing the associations served and the activities conducted.
4Qualifications: circuit riders must have the necessary experience and certification as determined by the Secretary to perform the described activities.
5Funding authorization: authorizes $10,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2025 through 2029 to carry out the program.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Associations operating rural water or wastewater systems (and the rural communities they serve). The program targets these entities for cybersecurity assessments, improvement protocols, and protection of drinking water infrastructure.Secondary group/area affected: USDA Rural Development or the relevant federal agency administering the program (the Secretary), along with qualified cybersecurity professionals who would serve as circuit riders; state and local governments and rural water utilities that partner with these associations.Additional impacts: potential improvements in public health and service reliability through strengthened cybersecurity of water infrastructure; increased federal funding and administrative requirements for program oversight; need for qualified personnel and ongoing reporting. The bill does not specify penalties or enforcement, but it establishes eligibility, standards, reporting, and funding to support the effort.

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