Homeland Security Committee Advances Five Bipartisan Bills 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced five bills to address current challenges threatening our nation’s cybersecurity posture, combat U.S. reliance on drones manufactured by China and other adversaries, ensure DHS has a streamlined approach to countering weapons of mass destruction, and support first responders in their unpredictable and vast mission set.

Notably, the Committee passed Chairman Green’s Securing Open Source Software Act of 2023, which was introduced as a direct response to the challenges the Federal government experienced in the Log4j vulnerability disclosure, and aims to address security risks posed by other open source software components.

“I am proud the Committee is moving these key efforts to strengthen various elements of our homeland security mission in a bipartisan manner,” said Chairman Green. “From mitigating the risk of sensitive data falling into the hands of adversarial nations like China to ensuring DHS has a clear, coordinated response to threats of weapons of mass destruction, our Members are taking a strategic and head-on approach to the glaring issues facing our homeland.

“In addition, I appreciate the Committee’s support of my bill, the Securing Open Source Software Act of 2023, to address the vulnerabilities identified by the Log4j disclosure, which showcased the risks that open source software can introduce to our networks and digital assets. This bipartisan, bicameral effort is critical to improving how the Federal government manages its risk stemming from the use of open source software, the bedrock of our digital ecosystem,” concluded Chairman Green. 

A full list of bills passed by the Committee is below:

• H.R. 3286, The “Securing Open Source Software Act of 2023,” introduced by Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN)
• H.R. 1501, The “Unmanned Aerial Security Act,” introduced by Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS)
• H.R. 3224, The “Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Extension Act of 2023,” introduced by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY)
• H.R. 3208, The “DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program Act,” introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
• H.R. 3254, The “First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act, ” introduced by Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)