Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, D-Mo., and House Homeland Security Committee members have revived a bipartisan bill that would expand federal cybersecurity oversight of pipeline systems and facilities throughout the U.S.
Cleaver's office said Friday the Pipeline Security Act reintroduction effort comes after a Colonial Pipeline cyberattack shuttered the company's refined gas delivery system on the East Coast and resulted in fuel shortages at gas stations and airports along the region.
The legislation would codify roles the Transportation Security Administration and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will play in protecting distribution networks for petroleum products.
TSA, which oversees the security of 2.7 million miles of pipelines nationwide, must update agency guidelines if the bill becomes law. Cleaver first introduced the measure in July 2019 but it did not move to a congressional vote.
“Both physical and cybersecurity threats to our infrastructure have the potential to harm our economy, undermine our national defense, and interrupt our daily lives,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
"The attack on the Colonial Pipeline this week was just one example of what could go wrong and it’s clear we may not be as lucky in the future if we don’t adjust,” Thompson added.
