Bill to safeguard national security against foreign tech introduced in U.S. Senate

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A bill to safeguard national security against foreign threats from unrestricted technology exchange has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) says that on Tuesday, March 7, he joined Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) to introduce the Restricting the Emergency of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act.

Moran indicated that the legislation would address ongoing threats posed by technology from foreign adversaries through further empowerment of the Department of Commerce to review, prevent and mitigate information communications and technology transactions that pose undue risk to national security.

“Foreign adversaries are increasingly using products and services to collect information on American citizens, posing a threat to our national security,” Moran said. “This legislation would give the Department of Commerce the authority to help prevent adversarial governments from controlling harmful products and services in the U.S., providing us the long-term tools necessary to combat the infiltration of our information and communications systems. The government needs to be vigilant against these threats, but a comprehensive data privacy law is needed to ensure Americans are able to control who accesses their data and for what purpose.”

The Senator noted that the legislation would require the Secretary of Commerce to establish procedures that would identify, deter, disrupt, prevent, prohibit and mitigate transactions that involve information and communications tech products that any foreign adversary has any interest and poses an undue or unacceptable risk to national security.

Moran also said the bill would prioritize the evaluation of information communications and technology products used in critical infrastructure. It would also apply to tech that is integral to telecommunications products or is foundational to disruptive tech with serious national security implications.

According to Moran, the bill would ensure comprehensive action is taken to address risks of untrusted information communications and tech products through the requirement of the Secretary to consider activity identified by other government entities.

Lastly, the Senator said the legislation would educate the public and businesses about the threat through requirements of the Secretary of Commerce to coordinate with the Director of National Intelligence to provide declassified information on how transactions denied or mitigated posed an undue or unacceptable risk.

To read a two-page summary of the bill, click HERE.

To read the full text of the legislation, click HERE.