HR 2980 establishes a new Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Program under the Department of Energy to support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers studying cybersecurity for energy infrastructure. The program provides competitive grants for scholarships, fellowships, and research at colleges and universities, including hands-on training at national labs and utility companies. It specifically aims to increase participation from historically Black colleges, Tribal Colleges, and minority-serving institutions. The bill directly affects advanced students and researchers in cybersecurity and energy fields, focusing on building workforce capacity through education and practical experience.
S 2606 requires the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command to develop a roadmap by August 2026 for collaborating with private industry on AI-powered cybersecurity tools for the Department of Defense. The roadmap must establish how the military can partner with AI developers and cybersecurity firms, including details on contracts, security clearance processes, and technology transition plans. It mandates specific elements like near-term AI use cases, industry engagement strategies, and infrastructure costs, with annual updates to Congress starting in 2028. This bill directly affects private sector companies working with the DoD on AI and cybersecurity, aiming to streamline collaboration for both defensive and offensive cyber operations.
This bill establishes the Last Acre Program to provide grants and loans to broadband providers to deliver high-speed internet (minimum 100 Mbps downstream, 20 Mbps upstream) to agricultural land that is unserved or underserved. It directly affects farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers on eligible land (including cropland, grassland, and farm sites) who lack sufficient broadband access, with priority for limited resource farmers and ranchers. The program requires providers to meet cybersecurity standards, use a competitive bidding process to determine recipients, and prioritize remote areas and unserved land, with $20 million authorized annually from 2026-2030. It also mandates the National Agricultural Statistics Service to collect detailed broadband usage data through updated agricultural surveys.
This bill directs the Commerce Department to develop and distribute free training resources to help small businesses adopt artificial intelligence and key emerging technologies like quantum-hybrid computing. The training will cover practical business areas including financial management, cybersecurity, marketing, and supply chain operations, with special focus on small businesses in rural, Tribal, or underserved communities and those in advanced manufacturing. The program requires annual updates to the training materials, distribution through existing Small Business Administration resource centers (like SCORE and small business development centers), and annual reports to Congress tracking participation and business outcomes. The initiative will expire three years after enactment.
This bill requires the federal government to develop a strategy for migrating to post-quantum cryptography (PQC), which is encryption designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers. Within 180 days, a federal subcommittee must create a national strategy defining when quantum computers pose a threat, assessing risks for each agency, and setting performance measures for four migration stages (preparation, inventory, implementation, and monitoring). It also mandates a pilot program where sector risk management agencies must upgrade at least one high-impact federal system to PQC by January 2027. The bill directs cost surveys for agencies and annual progress reports from the Comptroller General to track implementation across federal systems.
The Defense Technology Hubs Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a program creating regional hubs focused on advancing defense-related technologies like AI, quantum, and cybersecurity. These hubs - designated from applications by eligible consortia (including universities, defense contractors, and local governments) - will accelerate research, foster partnerships with military installations, and build workforce pipelines. The program authorizes $375 million (2026-2030) to fund hubs, with federal grants covering up to 50% of costs, while mandating strict security protocols to protect sensitive research. It aims to distribute at least 10 hubs across diverse U.S. regions within three years, prioritizing areas near existing defense facilities.
HR 2109, the Cybersecurity for Rural Water Systems Act, requires the federal rural water assistance program to provide cybersecurity help to small water systems serving under 10,000 people. It adds specific provisions for these systems to assess their cyber threat protections and implement security plans, procedures, and technologies. The bill increases annual funding for the program from $25 million to $32.5 million (2026-2030), with $7.5 million specifically allocated each year for this cybersecurity assistance. This directly affects rural water providers who lack resources to address growing cyber risks to their infrastructure.
The New Collar Jobs Act of 2025 creates tax credits for employers who fund cybersecurity training for staff, covering up to $5,000 per employee annually. It also offers student loan forgiveness of up to $25,000 for cybersecurity workers employed in economically distressed areas for 36 consecutive months. The bill expands CyberCorps scholarships for cybersecurity education and increases funding for cybersecurity programs at colleges. These provisions directly affect employers, cybersecurity workers, and educational institutions seeking to address workforce shortages in critical security roles.
The LAST ACRE Act of 2025 establishes the "Last Acre Program" to expand high-speed broadband access to agricultural land that lacks sufficient connectivity. The program provides grants and loans to broadband providers to build networks meeting minimum speed requirements (100 Mbps downstream, 20 Mbps upstream) on unserved or underserved cropland, pastureland, and farm sites used for active agricultural production. It prioritizes assistance for limited resource farmers (those with lower income and farm sales) and requires providers to meet cybersecurity standards and submit detailed bid applications. The bill also mandates data collection about agricultural broadband usage and requires annual reporting to Congress on program implementation.
The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act requires federal agencies to identify and report high-risk legacy information technology systems to the Federal Chief Information Officer. The Federal CIO must then compile and prioritize a list of the top 10 critical systems needing modernization, reporting this to Congress annually. Agencies can use dedicated fund money to upgrade outdated systems, enhance cybersecurity, or improve efficiency, but must repay funds to maintain the fund's operational balance until 2032. The bill also prohibits funding for projects with fraudulent or misleading information about technical design, business cases, or project management.
