H.R. 7266

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7266 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7266

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 13, 2026

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

AN ACT

To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to reauthorize the 
Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical 
Assistance Program, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Rural and Municipal Utility 
Cybersecurity Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL AND MUNICIPAL UTILITY ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY GRANT AND 
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

Section 40124 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 
U.S.C. 18723) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 40124. RURAL AND MUNICIPAL UTILITY ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY GRANT 
AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Advanced cybersecurity technology.--The term 
`advanced cybersecurity technology' means any technology, 
operational capability, or service, including computer 
hardware, software, or a related asset, that enhances the 
security posture of electric utilities through improvements in 
the ability to protect against, detect, respond to, or recover 
from a cybersecurity threat.
``(2) Bulk-power system.--The term `bulk-power system' has 
the meaning given the term in section 215(a) of the Federal 
Power Act.
``(3) Cybersecurity threat.--The term `cybersecurity 
threat' has the meaning given the term in section 2200 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002.
``(4) Defense critical electric infrastructure.--The term 
`defense critical electric infrastructure' has the meaning 
given the term in section 215A(a) of the Federal Power Act.
``(5) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means--
``(A) a rural electric cooperative;
``(B) an electric utility owned by a political 
subdivision of a State, such as a municipally owned 
electric utility;
``(C) an electric utility owned by any agency, 
authority, corporation, or instrumentality of 1 or more 
political subdivisions of a State;
``(D) a not-for-profit entity that is in a 
partnership with not fewer than 6 entities described in 
subparagraph (A), (B), or (C); and
``(E) an investor-owned electric utility that sells 
less than 4,000,000 megawatt hours of electricity per 
year.
``(6) Program.--The term `Program' means the Rural and 
Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical 
Assistance Program established under subsection (b).
``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall maintain a program, to be 
known as the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant 
and Technical Assistance Program, to provide technical assistance and 
award funding, including grants, cooperative agreements, and prizes, to 
eligible entities to protect against, detect, respond to, and recover 
from cybersecurity threats.
``(c) Objectives.--The objectives of the Program shall be--
``(1) to deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies for 
electric utility systems; and
``(2) to increase the participation of eligible entities in 
cybersecurity threat information sharing programs.
``(d) Awards.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the 
Secretary--
``(A) shall, subject to the availability of 
appropriations, provide technical assistance, and award 
funding, including grants, cooperative agreements, and 
prizes, to eligible entities on a competitive or 
noncompetitive basis;
``(B) shall develop criteria for providing such 
technical assistance and awarding such funding;
``(C) may enter into agreements that can facilitate 
the objectives described in subsection (c) with 
eligible entities to provide technical assistance or 
award funding, including grants, cooperative 
agreements, and prizes; and
``(D) shall establish a process to ensure, to the 
extent practicable, that all eligible entities are 
informed about opportunities to receive technical 
assistance or funding, including grants, cooperative 
agreements, and prizes.
``(2) Priority for funding and technical assistance.--In 
providing technical assistance and awarding funding, including 
grants, cooperative agreements, and prizes, under the Program, 
the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that, 
as determined by the Secretary--
``(A) has limited cybersecurity resources;
``(B) owns assets critical to the reliability of 
the bulk-power system; or
``(C) owns or operates defense critical electric 
infrastructure.
``(e) Protection of Information.--Information shared by or with the 
Federal Government or a State, Tribal, or local government under the 
Program shall be deemed voluntarily shared information and exempt from 
disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
known as the Freedom of Information Act), or any provision of any 
State, Tribal, or local freedom of information law, open government 
law, open meetings law, open records law, sunshine law, or similar law 
requiring the disclosure of information or records.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $250,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.''.

Passed the House of Representatives June 29, 2026.

Attest:

KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

Clerk.