The House On Tuesday evening and Wednesday approved a number of bills dealing with homeland and cyber security, including legislation to enhance cyber deterrence, strengthen the Department of Homeland Security’s role in countering potential threat drones, and codify the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) cyber security program within DHS.

All but one bill, the Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert Program (BITMAP) Authorization Act (H.R. 6439), were approved by voice vote. The BITMAP bill, which was approved 272 to 119, allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement and law enforcement officers of partner nations to collect and share biometric and biographic data on certain individuals to identify threat actors that use illegal pathways into the U.S.capitol

The Cyber Deterrence and Response Act (H.R. 5576) authorizes the president to designate critical cyber threats to the U.S. and levy a range of sanctions against the perpetrators of these threats.

The DHS Countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Coordinator Act (H.R. 6438) directs the department to coordinate among its components for the development of policies and plans to counter UAS.

The Advancing Cybersecurity Diagnostics and Mitigation Act (H.R. 6443) codifies the CDM program and requires DHS to ensure the program adapts to evolving threats. DHS, working with the General Services Administration, uses the CDM program to help protect federal civilian networks from cyber threats.

Another cyber security bill, the Securing the Homeland Security Supply Chain Act of 2018 (H.R. 6430), is aimed at giving DHS authorities to implement certain requirements for information related to supply chain risk.

The United States Ports of Entry Threat and Operational Review Act (H.R. 6400) requires DHS to conduct an analysis of threats to U.S. ports of entry and analyze operational needs to strengthen security at the ports.

Other measures approved by the House would require that only vetted trusted travelers be allowed to use the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck lanes at airport security checkpoints, establish a Chief Data Officer within DHS, direct DHS to conduct a study of maritime border threats to the U.S., require TSA to have a strategy to diversify the technology stakeholder market for security screening technologies, and establish within TSA a National Deployment Office.