Lankford and Peters Reintroduce Bill to Streamline Federal Cybersecurity Regulations

WASHINGTON, DC — US Senators James Lankford (R-OK), Chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs, and Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, have reintroduced legislation to simplify cybersecurity regulations across federal agencies. The Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act would address overlapping and contradictory compliance requirements that hinder effective cybersecurity efforts and create unnecessary burdens for critical infrastructure owners and operators, as well as communities across the nation.

“Bureaucratic red tape shouldn’t get in the way of preventing a cyber-attack, but complicated regulations are making it more difficult to address the major cyber threats facing our national security and critical infrastructure,” said Senator Lankford. “Harmonizing these efforts will make sure that federal requirements are focused on actually improving security instead of imposing a convoluted set of compliance challenges.” 

“By reducing the number of duplicative or burdensome reporting requirements, we can give businesses the tools to better secure our critical infrastructure against the serious threat of cyberattacks,” said Senator Peters. “This legislation ensures federal agencies can work collaboratively to create effective cybersecurity standards, enabling businesses to focus on safeguarding their systems rather than navigating a maze of conflicting requirements.”

As cyberattacks continue to grow, requirements to prevent cybersecurity breaches have become more complex. Some companies estimate that their cybersecurity teams are spending between 30 to 60% of their time on compliance with reporting requirements, rather than on improving their cybersecurity. This bill tackles the challenges of overlapping regulations by creating an interagency Harmonization Committee within the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) to align cybersecurity regulations, rules, and compliance standards. It also requires that all agencies, including independent regulatory agencies, consult with the committee before issuing or updating regulations. 

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