Mark Warner (D-VA)
Telecommunications Cybersecurity and Resilience Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill establishes a public-private working group within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create voluntary cybersecurity best practices for telecommunications carriers and related supply chain participants. It sets up a network of independent third-party assessors so that eligible entities can choose to get their cybersecurity measures certified. The bill provides certified entities with an affirmative defense in court, claiming due care or reasonableness following a cybersecurity incident, provided they have not acted with gross negligence or willful misconduct. It also institutes whistleblower protections for employees who report non-compliance or misrepresentation regarding the certification standards. Finally, the legislation ensures that nothing in the act grants new regulatory authority to federal agencies or requires companies to adopt the best practices.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +7
Does this better protect the country from computer attacks?
The bill establishes a public-private working group to develop voluntary cybersecurity best practices and third-party certifications to enhance resilience across the telecommunications sector.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Telecommunications carriers and supply chain business owners benefit from clear cybersecurity best practices and an affirmative legal defense following certified compliance.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
By promoting robust cybersecurity standards and third-party certifications for telecommunications carriers, the legislation helps protect sensitive consumer data from breaches.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill includes conflict preemption provisions that override state laws establishing inconsistent cybersecurity standards for certified entities.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Whistleblower Protections: Section 5(d) protects employees of eligible assessors, telecommunications carriers, and related agents from being fired, demoted, suspended, or harassed for reporting non-compliance or gross misrepresentation regarding certification standards to law enforcement, Congress, or supervisors. This helps keep officials and companies accountable to the public by protecting workers who speak up about safety or security failures.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Affirmative Defense Limits Court Accountability: Section 5(b)(2) gives certified telecommunications carriers and eligible entities an affirmative defense in federal or state court, establishing that their certified approval constitutes due care or reasonableness for mitigating cybersecurity incidents. This could potentially make it harder for everyday people harmed by a data breach or cyber incident to hold these companies fully accountable in court, unless they can prove gross negligence or willful misconduct.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — Telecommunications carriers and supply chain business owners benefit from clear cybersecurity best practices and an affirmative legal defense following certified compliance. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The inclusion of regional and rural telecommunications carriers in the working group helps ensure that cybersecurity frameworks address the needs of rural communities.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill establishes a public-private working group to develop voluntary cybersecurity best practices and third-party certifications to enhance resilience across the telecommunications sector.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — By promoting robust cybersecurity standards and third-party certifications for telecommunications carriers, the legislation helps protect sensitive consumer data from breaches.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill creates voluntary cybersecurity best practices and certifications that help small and medium-sized telecommunications providers secure their networks without mandatory regulatory burdens.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The legislation mandates public reporting on cybersecurity best practices, participation data, and the activities of the public-private working group. Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill includes conflict preemption provisions that override state laws establishing inconsistent cybersecurity standards for certified entities.
- 9/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Ted CruzRepublican · Texas