Senate Majority Leader Reid Pledges to Bring Cybersecurity Legislation to Senate Floor in July

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced this week that he plans to bring a comprehensive cybersecurity bill to the Senate floor in July.  The House of Representatives approved its version of cybersecurity legislation in April (see "House Declares Cybersecurity Week with Introduction of Four Cybersecurity Bills"). 

The Senate version that the Majority Leader plans to debate on the Senate floor is the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, S. 2105, which was introduced February 14, 2012, by Senators Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller, and Feinstein.  The measure would protect federal civilian systems and the systems of the nation's most critical infrastructure, most of which is owned by the private sector.  According to the website of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, "The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 is the result of months of negotiations with other Committees of jurisdiction; the energy, financial services, and chemical industries; national security and privacy and civil liberties groups; and a number of other government agencies. The Senate is expected to debate the measure in the coming weeks."

Even if the Senate passes their version of cybersecurity legislation, there remains the daunting task of the House and Senate conferencing over their two different bills to try to establish a single version that both the House and Senate will support.