Sw Louisiana News

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) has introduced a new piece of legislation aimed at enhancing cybersecurity protections across the United States. The bill, known as H.R. 10123 or the Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act, seeks to safeguard national security and critical infrastructure by addressing the threat posed by cyberattacks. This bipartisan and bicameral initiative aims to simplify existing cybersecurity regulations by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and redundant regulatory measures that hinder effective responses to major cyber threats.

The proposed legislation comes in response to a notable increase in both the frequency and severity of cyberattacks, which have complicated the cybersecurity compliance landscape. Regulatory bodies and agencies are striving to prevent significant incidents, but it is estimated that cybersecurity teams currently allocate between 40% and 70% of their resources to compliance rather than improving their infrastructure. The bill aims to tackle these challenges by creating a framework designed to streamline cybersecurity and information security regulations.

Congressman Higgins emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue: “With cyberattacks becoming increasingly prevalent, we as a nation must aggressively respond to every cyberattack,” he stated. He further noted that “this bipartisan, bicameral bill cuts through the bureaucratic red tape that plagues the federal government. Our bill simplifies the convoluted and complicated regulations that make it more difficult to address the rising cyber threats.”

In addition to Congressman Higgins' efforts in the House of Representatives, Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI) have introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

The full text of the legislation is available for public review.