U.S. Reps. Brad Finstad, who represents Minnesota's 1st District, and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan introduced H.R. 7062, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act, this week.
This bipartisan, bicameral legislation aims to strengthen cybersecurity protections within the food and agriculture critical infrastructure sector by identifying vulnerabilities while also improving the protective measures of government and private entities against devastating cyber threats on America’s food supply chain. Sens. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, and Kristen Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
Specifically, the Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act:
Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study every two years on cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within the agriculture and food sectors and submit a report to Congress; and,
Requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, as well as the Director of National Intelligence, to conduct an annual cross-sector crisis simulation exercise for food-related cyber emergencies or disruptions.
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