House Appropriations committee introduces Cybersecurity and Resiliency Fund bill

Madam Chair opened an introductory hearing on RS 32664, described by the director of state information technology as a proposal to create a Cybersecurity and Resiliency Fund and to strengthen reporting and budget oversight.

Director Gonzalez, director of the Office of Information Technology Services, told the committee the state faces frequent cyberattacks and described changes from an earlier draft. "We are in constant threat from cyber criminals," he said, and said the new draft requires the Office of Information Technology Services to create a five-year replacement cycle and to submit an annual update and a report of prior-year spending to the Division of Financial Management so the funds are reviewed through the JFAC process.

The bill as introduced establishes a dedicated fund and specifies that plans for five-year replacement cycles must be updated annually and submitted to the Division of Financial Management for inclusion in the regular budget review process. Director Gonzalez said the language was changed to address earlier committee concerns about a continuous appropriation and to ensure funds "have to go through the budget process." Representative Furness asked whether the RS was also a request for the $10 million discussed at a prior meeting; Gonzalez answered that the RS establishes the fund and that any appropriation amount would be decided later by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

After brief questions, the committee moved to introduce RS 32,664. A voice vote approved introduction and the chair said the bill "will be considered later this week." No final appropriation was requested or approved during the introductory hearing.

The committee did not take a recorded roll-call vote on the introduction; the action was approved by voice vote.

The bill will return for further committee consideration and any appropriation amounts would be set through the budget process.