House OKs prolonged state, local cyber grant renewal

Legislation that would extend the renewal of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant program until 2035 has been approved by the House of Representatives, StateScoop reports.

Aside from funding IT systems supporting state and local government services, the Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience, or PILLAR, Act would also expand to cover operational technology underpinning critical infrastructure, as well as artificial intelligence-powered IT systems.

"We acknowledge that cyber risk extends from everything from industrial control systems at water treatment plants to connected devices in public safety networks to AI-enabled tools used by local agencies," said Rep. Andrew Ogle, R-Tenn. Multiple organizations, such as the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and the National Council of State Legislatures, have expressed support for the measure, which considers both national and economic security.

Such passage was also regarded by Zscaler executive Ryan Gillis to be an "essential first step toward securing the federal portion of the investment needed to defend the systems that power our communities and support our military readiness."