The House passed a trio of bills designed to bolster security around critical infrastructure and nuclear security.
Of particular note, lawmakers gave a unanimous thumbs up to the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA), H.R. 3410, which is aimed at safeguarding critical infrastructure from electromagnetic pulses.
One of the act's sponsors, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) noted in a statement that by passing the legislation, the U.S. can prevent and prepare for an attack against the electric grid or other critical infrastructure elements “by including large-scale blackouts into existing national planning scenarios...”
Additionally, he said, the act amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require “specific plans for protecting and recovering the electric grid and other critical infrastructure from a dangerous EMP event.” The House also unanimously passed the Strengthening Domestic Nuclear Security Act and the National Laboratories Mean National Security Act.
