Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) unveiled a new cybersecurity bill dubbed the Water Cyber Shield Act on Monday in an effort to prevent attacks on water infrastructure.
The legislation would increase the drinking water and clean water state revolving funds by $300 million annually for cybersecurity improvements, and it would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct cybersecurity assessments and require corrective actions when needed.
Schiff and Klobuchar introduced the bill after a coordinated cyberattack targeted more than 30 municipal water systems and wastewater operational technologies across Minnesota last month.
The cities of Plymouth, South St. Paul, Maple Plain and Braham publicly reported disruptions that caused brief automated shutdowns or pressure loss, forcing some facilities to temporarily switch to manual operations.
“Every American depends on safe, reliable drinking water, yet recent events have exposed just how vulnerable our water systems remain to cyberattacks by foreign adversaries and criminal entities. These threats are not hypothetical—they are happening right now,” Schiff, the top Democrat on the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works Committee, said in a statement.
“This legislation gives EPA the tools it needs to protect this critical infrastructure while providing the resources that local water and wastewater systems need to strengthen their cybersecurity without passing the cost on to ratepayers,” he added.
Hackers may remotely lock out municipal operators or disable automated systems, forcing staff to shift operations on a moment’s notice. Attackers may alter device configurations or change passwords, causing a total loss of visibility into plant machinery, which lawmakers say needs to be addressed.
Schiff and Klobuchar’s legislation would require the EPA to work with Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish baseline cybersecurity standards for drinking water systems. It also lays out steps towards primary enforcement responsibility for cybersecurity requirements for those states who have capacity and wish to hold primary responsibility, per the text.
“The recent cyberattacks on Minnesota have highlighted the urgent need to improve the security of our water systems and critical infrastructure,” Klobuchar said.
“Our legislation will direct the EPA to assess water infrastructure cybersecurity and identify vulnerabilities, and help municipal water systems defend against cyber threats. Protecting our critical infrastructure and the safety of Minnesotans is a top priority,” she added.
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