Bill > HR7266

This bill, titled the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, aims to strengthen the cybersecurity defenses of smaller, rural, and municipal electric utilities by reauthorizing and amending the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, which was originally established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program provides funding and technical assistance, including grants and cooperative agreements, to eligible entities—such as rural electric cooperatives, municipally owned utilities, and smaller investor-owned utilities—to help them acquire and implement advanced cybersecurity technologies. These technologies are defined as any tools or services that improve a utility's ability to protect against, detect, respond to, or recover from cybersecurity threats, which are defined as any circumstances that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information or systems. The bill prioritizes funding for entities with limited cybersecurity resources, those that own critical infrastructure for the bulk-power system (which refers to the interconnected network of generators and transmission lines that deliver electricity across the country), or those that operate defense critical electric infrastructure. Importantly, any information shared with the government under this program will be considered voluntarily shared and exempt from public disclosure laws like the Freedom of Information Act. The bill authorizes $250 million for this program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.