Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Expires as Senate Leaves for Summer Recess
On Thursday, the Senate concentrated on passing the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act, working late to wrap up the reauthorization package before leaving town. The $886 billion legislation passed 86-11, and lawmakers subsequently left for the summer recess.
They left for the break without first taking up House legislation to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). It expired Thursday, with senators now gone until Sept. 5.
The National Association of Chemical Distributors has been pressing Congress to not let the program sunset. President and CEO Eric R. Byer said today that with the expiration of CFATS “our nation’s sensitive chemical facilities have the difficult challenge of navigating a wide range of national security risks — including physical, cyber, and emerging artificial intelligence risks — on their own.”
Read more: Homeland Security Today