November/December 2021 | Vol. 26 No.6
HOUSE PASSES BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, SENDS TO PRESIDENT BIDEN FOR SIGNATURE
The House of Representatives passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by a bipartisan vote of 228-206. This comprehensive infrastructure bill covers surface transportation, grid infrastructure, and resiliency, cybersecurity, clean technology supply chains, energy efficiency, building infrastructure, smart manufacturing, transformer/motor drive system rebates, and more. It will modernize American electrical infrastructure and other sectors as well. NEMA calculates that the bill will direct approximately $24 billion in direct funding for NEMA products, with an additional $391 billion in broader spending of which NEMA products are a portion. Passage of this bill is the starting line to a complex, multi- dimensional, 5+ year implementation timetable.
— Phil Squair, Vice President of Government Relations, NEMA
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES EARLY ALERT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE SEMICONDUCTOR SUPPLY CHAINS
The U.S. Department of Commerce has established a system whereby companies can submit information via email “regarding new or ongoing COVID-related shutdown or disruption to microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing facilities and their related supply chains around the world.” According to the announcement, “the information gathered will be used to assess potential disruptions, enhance engagement with foreign governments as appropriate, and work to safely reopen these critical microelectronics and semiconductor facilities.”
— Phil Squair, Vice President of Government Relations, NEMA
SYSTEMICALLY IMPORTANT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL INTRODUCED
Bipartisan draft legislation by Reps. John Katko (R-NY) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has been introduced which would direct the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to designate certain entities “systemically important critical infrastructure (SICI),” a classification which would allow qualified sector owners and operators to additional resources to modernize and maintain their cybersecurity operations. As currently written, the legislation would mandate a participant-driven process in developing SICI criteria, including input from Sector Risk Management Agencies and their “stakeholders,” read critical infrastructure sectors of which NEMA and its Members belong.
In a way, a SICI is a form of cybersecurity labeling. It would highlight and distinguish certain industry sectors as being more deserving of resources and protections due to their critical role in society. Some incentives being to approved entities include front line access to cybersecurity programs and technical support, security clearance application prioritization, and greater liability protection for shared information. In exchange for these added benefits, companies would be subject to an information sharing arrangement. This legislation is not expected to move through NDAA or other must-pass bills this year, signifying that Congress will continue receiving feedback from interest groups on SICI.
— Peter Ferrell, Government Relations Manager on Cybersecurity and Data Policy, NEMA
FCC SEEKS COMMENTS ON POSSIBLE FEES FOR CONNECTED DEVICES
NEMA is developing individual and joint comment documents for a notice of proposed rulemaking from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The proposed rulemaking inquires about ways to charge fees for currently unlicensed devices using the industrial, scientific, and medical (IMS) bands (example: WiFi) on a not-to-interfere basis with fee-paying licensees. All Members are welcome to join the working group or provide feedback to the draft comments.
— Alex Boesenberg, Director of Regulatory Affairs, NEMA