Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act

Key Points

• This bill adds cybersecurity help to an existing Department of Agriculture program that supports small town water and sewer systems. It focuses on towns with fewer than 10,000 residents that might not have the money or staff to protect their water supply from hackers.
• The program would send experts to these small towns to check how well their computer systems are protected against cyberattacks. These experts will help local leaders create and use security plans and new technology to keep their water safe.
• To pay for this, the bill increases the yearly budget for the rural water program from $25 million to $32.5 million through the year 2030. The extra $7.5 million each year is specifically set aside for these new cybersecurity efforts.
• This matters because small water systems are often targets for hackers who want to disrupt local services. By providing federal experts and funding, the bill aims to prevent digital attacks that could shut down water access or contaminate local supplies.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.