Several senators this week introduced bills to improve terrorism response procedures, improve travel safety accountability, and ensure the cyber resiliency of critical electrical grid infrastructure.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced Wednesday and Thursday in the Senate.CAPITOL

Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) announced the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism (REPORT) Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center to issue a report to Congress following a terrorist attack.

Under their bill, federal agencies would be required to jointly provide details of the attack, security gaps that need to be addressed, recommendations for Congress on how to prevent such events, and ways law enforcement can help mitigate future risks.

“There are no political lines in the face of a terrorist attack,” said McCaskill in a statement. “I’m glad to be working across the aisle to ensure that after a terrorist attack, we have the information we need to work together to prevent future threats to Missourians and all Americans.”

The REPORT ACT is a Senate version of House bill passed in June.

Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) also introduced the TSA Modernization Act, which would authorize $7.8 billion in fiscal year 2018 funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The bill establishes a five-year term for the TSA administrator, requires the development of certification standards for third-party explosive detection dogs to address the department’s K-9 shortage and calls for greater development of private sector partnerships to promote its aviation security PreCheck trusted traveler program.

“This legislation responds to the challenges of aviation security, now and over the horizon, by creating more stability in the agency’s leadership and putting security assets in place that protect travelers and minimize delays,” Thune said in a statement. “TSA must learn from disappointing security testing results, terrorist attacks abroad, and traveler frustration to rise to the occasion, embrace necessary changes, and meet its critically important mission of keeping travelers safe and secure.”

If enacted, the legislation also authorizes $7.9 billion in funding for fiscal year 2019 and $7.9 billion for fiscal year 2020.

Sen. Ron Wyden also introduced three bills Wednesday directing the Department of Energy to update standards for future electrical grid projects, two of which included stipulations for cyber standards required from utilities providers to receive federal grants.

If Wyden’s Flexible Grid Infrastructure Act is enacted, the secretary of Energy would have one year to develop cyber threat standards for electric utilities providers and three years to provide an evaluation on the cyber resiliency of equipment required to operate the national electric grid.  

The senator’s Distributed Energy Demonstration Act requires all potential electrical grid grant recipients to supply a cyber security plan for related tools and systems. All grants awarded by the Department of Energy for energy resource distribution projections would also have to include assessment of cyber security technologies and applications.

“America’s energy grid is in need of an upgrade. These bills will promote a more flexible electricity grid that can respond to power disruptions from natural disasters and ensure reliable, low-cost electricity for consumers now and in the future,” Wyden said in a statement.