H.R. 7625

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7625 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7625

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.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 20, 2026

Mr. McDowell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

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.

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 ``Marine Transportation System 
Cybersecurity Budget and Evaluation Report Act of 2026'' or the ``MTS 
CYBER Act of 2026''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) 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.
(2) The increasing frequency and severity of cyber threats 
to the marine transportation system (hereinafter referred to as 
``MTS'') presents economic and national security risks.
(3) The Department of Homeland Security and the Department 
of Transportation are designated as co-Sector Risk Management 
Agencies (hereinafter referred to as ``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.
(4) Executive Order 14116, issued by President Biden in 
February 2024, expands the United States Coast Guard's 
regulatory authorities to strengthen MTS cybersecurity.
(5) 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.
(6) 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.
(7) The Coast Guard remains underfunded and understaffed 
for the purpose of sector risk management.
(8) The ability of the Coast Guard to fulfill SRMA duties 
is contingent upon adequate budgetary resources and a healthy 
workforce.
(9) 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.

SEC. 3. COAST GUARD SECTOR RISK MANAGEMENT AGENCY BUDGET AND 
CAPABILITIES REVIEW.

(a) GAO Review.--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--
(1) an evaluation of the sufficiency of Coast Guard funding 
for the sector risk management responsibilities, including 
funding for cybersecurity personnel, training, and enforcement, 
in light of statutory requirements under section 9002 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 and 
additional requirements in Presidential Policy Directive 21;
(2) the ability of Coast Guard personnel to evaluate 
compliance with cybersecurity requirements for regulated 
entities; and
(3) 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.
(b) Report.--The Comptroller General shall submit the findings and 
recommendations from the review required under subsection (a) to--
(1) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 
the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the 
Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Homeland 
Security of the House of Representatives.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Marine transportation system.--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.
(2) Sector risk management agency; srma.--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).
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