Senate panel OKs annual intelligence authorization legislation

Intelligence authorization legislation focused on Chinese and election security threats has been approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Aside from strengthening efforts to curb national security risks stemming from China's cybersecurity, technology, and influence operations, the bill also requires penetration testing for voting systems prior to next year's presidential polls. Intelligence collection on U.S. individuals would be prohibited for the Homeland Security Departments intelligence arm under the bill, which also orders the Director of National Intelligence to spearhead the creation of rules surrounding artificial intelligence development, use, and implementation. Bipartisan intelligence classification and declassification changes have also been introduced in the legislation. "This year's bill increases the IC's ability to track threats posed by adversarial nations, including technological and economic competition with China," said Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va. Similar legislation is expected to be approved by the House Intelligence Committee in the following week.