This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and working with the Secretary of Defense as appropriate, to do three things within 180 days of enactment: (1) identify data centers that should be treated as critical infrastructure; (2) consider the security of power and water supply infrastructure connected to those data centers, with a particular focus on above-ground electric transmission lines and electrical substations, and consider any implications when data centers are sited near communities or residential areas; and (3) submit to Congress a strategy with recommendations to defend those data centers from external breaches and to protect nearby communities and residential areas. The bill uses existing legal definitions for "critical infrastructure" and "data center."
If you live near a data center, the federal government would assess whether that facility should be treated as critical infrastructure and study related risks to local power, water, and nearby neighborhoods. The bill calls for a report to Congress with recommended defenses and community protections. No publicly available information on immediate regulatory changes or new local rules is included in the bill text.
No publicly available information on costs, funding, or budgetary effects is provided in the bill text.
No publicly available information in the bill text about proponents' stated views or reasons for supporting the bill.
No publicly available information in the bill text about opponents' stated views or reasons for opposing the bill.