$1.7T Omnibus Bill Signed by Biden, Major Advance for Cyber ​​Security and Technology Support

Written by Nihal Krishan
December 30, 2022 | FEDSCOOP

The $1.7 trillion comprehensive government spending package signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday will increase federal funding for cybersecurity as well as science and technology programs.

The bipartisan fiscal 2023 comprehensive spending agreement includes $2.9 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), an increase of $313 million from the current budget, and $1.6 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an increase of $397 million. million to the agency.

Cyber ​​security

The spending package includes $1.3 billion for the CIA’s cybersecurity programs, representing a $230 million year-over-year increase, though the bill includes unusual language that fines the agency $50,000 for each day of the quarterly congressional briefing.

CISA is a year late in submitting an organizational plan, manpower and budget allocation document to Congress, known as the “Force Structure Review.”

If Congress doesn’t have a bill to review a budget for CISA soon, Rep. Jim Langevin, DR.I. He told CyberScope earlier this month that it could affect the agency’s funding.

The omnibus includes $200 million for the Office of Energy Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and allocates $100 million in funding to the Treasury Department’s Cybersecurity Enhancement Account, $20 million more than last year.

The spending package specifically targets cybercrime, allocating $50 million to address cybersecurity threats from Russia and other adversaries, and $422 million to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to address cybersecurity and hiring. The bill includes a provision that would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to collect and report on international cyberattacks by foreign actors, specifically targeting those originating from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, according to a summary of the Senate Republican bill. .

The omnibus also provides $22 million to the White House Office of the National Cyber ​​Director, the first time the new office will receive debt repayment resources. The office is expected to release a new national cyber strategy by 2023, as well as a cybersecurity workforce, training and education plan.

Science and technology

Congress passed the Creating Semiconductor Manufacturing Incentives (CHIPS) and Science Act in August to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and help America compete with China in technological advances.

The omnibus spending package fell short of the maximum funding authorized by the CHIPS Act, but authorized substantial funding for NIST, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science.

The $1.6 billion allocated to NIST includes $953 million for scientific and technical research and up to $462 million for the construction of new research facilities.

NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program also received $175 million, an increase of $17 million, and an additional $4 million to establish a NIST Center of Excellence for measuring climate change and its impacts on the nation.