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H.R. 7266: Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act

119th Congress · introduced 2026-01-27 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act

Plain summary

Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 a program that provides cybersecurity-related assistance and funding to rural electric cooperatives and municipal or small, investor-owned electric utilities. The bill also revises methods of awarding support and expands protections for information shared under the program. This program, known as the Rural and Municipal Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance Program, is administered by the Department of Energy (DOE). Current law requires DOE to provide technical assistance and funding under the program on a competitive basis; under the bill, assistance and funding may be provided on a competitive or noncompetitive basis. Current law also requires DOE to prioritize providing technical assistance and funding to certain entities, including entities that own defense critical electric infrastructure . The bill specifies that DOE must also prioritize entities that operate such infrastructure. (Defense critical electric infrastructure is electric infrastructure that (1) is located in the contiguous United States, and (2) serves a designated critical defense facility but is not owned or operated by the owner or operator of the critical facility.) Finally, the bill expands an existing protection against disclosure to cover all information shared under the program by or with the federal government or a state, tribal, or local government. This provision protects against disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act and other state, tribal, or local disclosure laws.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [R-IA-1] · 2 cosponsors

Money: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 7266, Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (2026-04-14) No linked contracts or vendors yet.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong119-hr7266 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills