Eight Katko-Authored Measures Become Law Following Enactment Of National Defense Authorization Act

by Contributor | January 5, 2021 3:03 pm

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced eight measures he authored have become law following the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), bipartisan, bicameral legislation that authorizes the budget and expenditures for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for Fiscal Year 2021.

Last month, Katko voted in favor of this legislation as it passed the U.S. House of Representatives.[1]

“During negotiations on the NDAA, I successfully advocated for inclusion of eight measures I authored which strengthen our nation’s cyber defenses following the SolarWinds breach and expand access to mental healthcare during the ongoing pandemic,” Katko said. “Now, with the NDAA enacted, I’m pleased to announce these critical measures have become law.”

He continued, “The SolarWinds breach underscores our nation’s cyber vulnerabilities. From schools in Central New York to federal agencies in Washington, we all face significant risks and must do better to prepare for and respond to these attacks. While my measures take important steps to better secure our nation, I recognize there’s much more to be done. As Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Committee, strengthening our nation’s cybersecurity will be among my top priorities.”

The following Katko-authored measures were included in the NDAA and codified into law:

• Strengthening CISA Act of 2020[2] – Tasks DHS with conducting a comprehensive review of the ability of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to fulfill its current missions and implement the recommendations detailed by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.
• CISA Director and Assistant Directors Act[3] – Improves guidance and long-term strategic planning by stabilizing the CISA Director and Assistant Directors positions.
• Cybersecurity Advisory Committee Authorization Act of 2019[4] – Establishes a Cybersecurity Advisory Committee of representatives from major industry sectors to advise CISA.
• CISA Subpoena Authority – Allows CISA to issue administrative subpoenas to ISPs to identify and warn entities of cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
• Securing Email Systems Across Federal Networks/DMARC – Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to implement Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) standard across U.S.-based email providers.
• Joint Cyber Planning Office – Creates a Joint Cyber Planning Office at CISA to coordinate cybersecurity planning and readiness across government and critical infrastructure owners and operators.
• Military Mental Health Stigma Reduction Act – Requires the Department of Defense to report on its efforts to reduce the stigma associated with servicemembers seeking treatment for PTSD or other mental health conditions.
• Seeding Rural Resilience Act – Expands mental health and suicide prevention activities at USDA to increase support for rural communities.

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