The Senate passed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (CISA Act) on Wednesday by unanimous consent but included some amendments, setting up a few remaining steps before the bill reaches President Trump’s desk.
The bill, which has been long supported by the Department of Homeland Security, would elevate the National Protection and Programs Directorate to the agency level within DHS, and would rename the organization to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The newly created agency would take responsibility for leading cybersecurity and critical infrastructure security programs, coordinate a national critical infrastructure security effort, and coordinating with other agencies, among other duties.
The House passed the bill in December 2017, but it has sat on the Senate’s plate for a while. The bill received support from DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and VP Mike Pence this summer.
Thomas McDermott, deputy assistant secretary for cyber policy at DHS, noted that the bill was a “big priority” for the department, and expressed his pleasure at the bill’s passage.