42 USC 18723 - Rural and municipal utility advanced cybersecurity grant and technical assistance program

U.S Code last checked for updates: Nov 26, 2024

§ 18723.

Rural and municipal utility advanced cybersecurity grant and technical assistance program

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Advanced cybersecurity technology

(2)

Bulk-power system

(3)

Eligible entity

The term “eligible entity” means—

(A)

a rural electric cooperative;

(B)

a utility owned by a political subdivision of a State, such as a municipally owned electric utility;

(C)

a utility owned by any agency, authority, corporation, or instrumentality of 1 or more political subdivisions of a State;

(D)

a not-for-profit entity that is in a partnership with not fewer than 6 entities described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C); and

(E)

an investor-owned electric utility that sells less than 4,000,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year.

(4)

Program

(b)

Establishment

(c)

Objectives

The objectives of the Program shall be—

(1)

to deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utility systems; and

(2)

to increase the participation of eligible entities in cybersecurity threat information sharing programs.

(d)

Awards

(1)

In general

The Secretary—

(A)

shall award grants and provide technical assistance under the Program to eligible entities on a competitive basis;

(B)

shall develop criteria and a formula for awarding grants and providing technical assistance under the Program;

(C)

may enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities that can facilitate the objectives described in subsection (c); and

(D)

shall establish a process to ensure that all eligible entities are informed about and can become aware of opportunities to receive grants or technical assistance under the Program.

(2)

Priority for grants and technical assistance

In awarding grants and providing technical assistance under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that, as determined by the Secretary—

(A)

has limited cybersecurity resources;

(B)

owns assets critical to the reliability of the bulk-power system; or

(C)

owns defense critical electric infrastructure (as defined in section 824o–1(a) of title 16).

(e)

Protection of information

Information provided to, or collected by, the Federal Government pursuant to this section the disclosure of which the Secretary reasonably foresees could be detrimental to the physical security or cybersecurity of any electric utility or the bulk-power system—

(1)

shall be exempt from disclosure under section 552(b)(3) of title 5; and

(2)

shall not be made available by any Federal agency, State, political subdivision of a State, or Tribal authority pursuant to any Federal, State, political subdivision of a State, or Tribal law, respectively, requiring public disclosure of information or records.

(f)

Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title I, § 40124, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 953; Pub. L. 117–263, div. G, title LXXI, § 7143(d)(3), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3663.)

cite as: 42 USC 18723