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“Americans deserve peace of mind knowing that the phones that connect us to the world are being used for good, not scams.”

Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee passed three bills that Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) has been working on: the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, and the Cyber Sense Act of 2019. These bills will help stop unwanted robocalls and improve grid security. 

Key Quotes from Congressman Latta’s Remarks: 
“[The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act] would allow consumers to know which calls are being blocked – similar to the spam filter in email – and create a pathway to stop wanted calls from being blocked…[and] would ensure that we are preserving consumers’ access to desirable, and at times, life-saving calls and text messages while also protecting them from bad actors who fraudulently spoof caller ID information to make illegal robocalls. Americans deserve peace of mind knowing that the phones that connect us to the world are being used for good, not scams.”

“These bills will foster a collaborative relationship between DOE and the utilities to ensure our grid becomes increasingly resilient in the face of cyberattacks. Grid security is national security, and it’s important that we act.”

Additional Background on the Legislation: 
H.R. 3375, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, combats the growing scourge of illegal robocalls. Latta, the Republican Leader on the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, introduced the Support Tools to Obliterate Pesky (STOP) Robocalls Act earlier this year with Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA). Their legislation is a major component of this bipartisan package. 

H.R. 359, the Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act, directs DOE to facilitate and encourage public-private partnerships in order to improve cybersecurity of electric utilities. The legislation will improve sharing of best practices and data collection, along with providing training and technical assistance to electric utilities in order to address and mitigate cybersecurity risks. 

H.R. 360, the Cyber Sense Act of 2019, creates a voluntary Cyber Sense program to test the cybersecurity of products and technologies intended for use in the bulk-power system. The Secretary of Energy will be required to keep a related database on these products to assist electric utilities in their evaluation of products and their potential to cause harm to the electric grid.