House Homeland Security panel advances seven bills, including CISA reauthorization, state and local cyber grants and pipeline security

The House Committee on Homeland Security advanced seven bills during a committee markup, reporting each to the House with a favorable recommendation after debate and a series of amendments and roll-call votes.

The most contentious discussion centered on reauthorizing the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, which the committee considered as H.R. 5,079 (the Widespread Information Management for the Welfare of Infrastructure and Government Act, or WIMWIG). Chairman Garbarino framed the bill as essential to sustaining voluntary cyber-threat information sharing, saying, "The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 changed the cybersecurity landscape forever and for the better." The committee adopted an amendment-in-the-nature-of-a-substitute and additional technical edits intended to strengthen privacy protections and clarify provisions related to artificial intelligence. The committee reported H.R. 5,079 as amended by voice and roll call; the clerk recorded 25 ayes, 0 nays.

The panel also advanced H.R. 5,078, the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience (Pillar Act), to reauthorize the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. Sponsor Rep. Ogles said the bill stabilizes cost-share rules and extends authorization for 10 years, and warned many local governments lack resources to defend critical systems: "roughly 98% of municipalities operate at below the cyber poverty line," he said. Ranking Member Benny Thompson and other Democrats expressed concern about the committee's shortened vetting process but supported moving the bill forward; the roll call recorded 21 ayes and 1 nay.

Other measures the committee advanced included:

- H.R. 1,736 (Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act). Rep. Pfluger said the bill would "require DHS to conduct annual assessments on the terrorism threats posed ... by terrorist organizations utilizing or attempting to utilize generative ... artificial intelligence applications." The committee reported the bill, recorded 21 ayes, 0 nays.

- H.R. 2,212 (DHS Intelligence Rotational Assignment Program and Law Enforcement Support Act), which would make analysts in DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis eligible for the Intelligence Community Civilian Joint Duty (rotational) program. Sponsor remarks emphasized workforce development and interagency integration. The committee reported the bill, recorded 22 ayes, 0 nays.

- H.R. 2,259 (National Strategy for School Security Act). Rep. Gonzales said federal coordination is lacking and argued the bill would establish a national strategy to help school districts improve emergency plans. The committee reported the bill, recorded 22 ayes, 0 nays.

- H.R. 2,261 (Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act). Sponsor Rep. Hernandez said the bill would require DHS intelligence products to be reviewed by the department's chief privacy officer and the officer for civil rights and civil liberties, and would require training on privacy and civil liberties protections for senior intelligence personnel. The committee reported the bill, recorded 22 ayes, 0 nays.

- H.R. 5,062 (Pipeline Security Act). Sponsor Rep. Johnson described the measure as codifying Transportation Security Administration responsibilities for pipeline security, directing TSA to issue guidelines, conduct risk assessments and inspections, and develop a workforce strategy that includes cybersecurity expertise. The committee reported the bill, recorded 22 ayes, 0 nays.

Votes at a glance

- H.R. 5,079 (WIMWIG; CISA reauthorization), as amended — favorably reported; vote: 25–0. - H.R. 5,078 (Pillar Act; state and local cybersecurity grants) — favorably reported; vote: 21–1. - H.R. 1,736 (Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act) — favorably reported; vote: 21–0. - H.R. 2,212 (DHS Intelligence Rotational Assignment Program and Law Enforcement Support Act) — favorably reported; vote: 22–0. - H.R. 2,259 (National Strategy for School Security Act) — favorably reported; vote: 22–0. - H.R. 2,261 (Strengthening Oversight of DHS Intelligence Act) — favorably reported; vote: 22–0. - H.R. 5,062 (Pipeline Security Act) — favorably reported; vote: 22–0.

What the committee said and what to watch next

- Reauthorization and privacy: Sponsors said the WIMWIG bill preserves existing privacy protections while updating definitions, encouraging secure AI use for threat-sharing, improving bidirectional sharing with the private sector, and extending the authority for 10 years. Ranking Member Benny Thompson urged broader stakeholder review and said he "believe[s] a clean 10 year extension is the most expeditious path forward." The chair and ranking member pledged continued engagement with privacy, civil rights and civil liberties experts as the bill moves through the House and Senate.

- State and local capacity building: Supporters described the Pillar Act as a long-term reauthorization and stabilization of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program established in the bipartisan infrastructure law. The sponsor said the bill sets cost-share rules (60% single-entity, 70% for multi-entity groups as described by the sponsor), aims to improve outreach to rural and small communities, and authorizes the program for 10 years. The committee record includes a sponsor statement that Congress provided $1,000,000,000 for the program in earlier funding.

- AI and terrorism: The generative AI bill would require DHS to produce annual assessments on how foreign terrorist organizations could use generative AI to recruit, radicalize or fabricate propaganda. The bill gives DHS up to one year after enactment to coordinate its report with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, per sponsor remarks.

- Intelligence workforce and civil-liberties safeguards: Two bills focus on DHS intelligence enterprise capacity and safeguards. One would make DHS intelligence analysts eligible for an Intelligence Community rotational program to build interagency experience; another would require privacy and civil-rights reviews and training for DHS intelligence products.

- Pipeline security: Sponsors described the Pipeline Security Act as codifying and clarifying TSA's pipeline role after the 2021 Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. Sponsors emphasized directives, inspections, risk assessments and a TSA workforce strategy that includes cybersecurity expertise. They said the bill does not itself create new regulations but would codify TSA's role and require additional GAO review.

Next steps: Committee staff were authorized to make technical or conforming changes to reflect the markup. Each bill will proceed to the House in the form of an amendment in the nature of a substitute for further consideration by the full chamber and, where applicable, by other committees and the Senate. Members were given two calendar days to file supplemental or minority views for the record.

Ending note: Several members opened the markup by acknowledging recent violent incidents and the absence of Rep. Eric Swalwell (whose mother had died, as noted by the chair), and the committee paused briefly for a moment of silence at the start of the meeting.