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[BILL] H.R.5048 - To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for increased criminal and civil penalties for wage theft.

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  Published in Politics and Government on Wednesday, August 27th 2025 at 11:43 GMT by US Congress

House Bill 5048: A Catalyst for U.S. Cybersecurity Resilience

House Bill 5048, introduced in the 119th Congress, is a landmark piece of legislation that seeks to fortify the United States’ cyber infrastructure through a comprehensive, multi‑agency framework. The bill’s text, which can be found on Congress.gov, outlines a series of mandates and structural reforms aimed at improving threat detection, incident response, and overall cyber resilience across both federal agencies and critical private sector partners.

1. Creation of a National Cybersecurity Coordination Center

One of the most significant provisions of the bill is the establishment of a National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC). Modeled on the principles of the National Counterterrorism Center, the NCCC would operate under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and would serve as a central hub for cyber threat intelligence sharing, situational awareness, and coordinated response. The center would bring together security teams from the Department of Defense (DoD), DHS, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and other key federal agencies, allowing for real‑time exchange of data on emerging threats and coordinated defensive measures.

Impact: By centralizing intelligence and response capabilities, the NCCC is expected to reduce duplication of effort and shorten the time required to identify and mitigate cyber incidents. Analysts predict that the center could shave hours—or even days—from incident response times for high‑risk threats, thereby minimizing potential damage to critical national infrastructure.

2. Mandatory Incident Reporting and Transparency

Bill 5048 requires federal agencies to report all significant cyber incidents to the NCCC within 24 hours of detection. This requirement is supplemented by a public‑facing incident reporting portal, modeled after the National Vulnerability Database, where incident summaries and response outcomes are published on a regular basis. The bill also mandates that agencies develop incident response plans that are aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

Impact: The mandatory reporting framework introduces a new level of transparency and accountability. By publicly documenting incidents, federal agencies can benchmark their security posture against peers, enabling targeted investments in areas that are most vulnerable. Additionally, the reporting cadence fosters a culture of continuous improvement and cross‑agency learning.

3. Strengthening Cybersecurity Standards for Critical Infrastructure

The bill expands the scope of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) by requiring that all critical infrastructure operators—defined as entities that provide essential services such as energy, water, transportation, and finance—adhere to a baseline set of cybersecurity standards. These standards will be derived from the NIST SP 800‑53 family of security controls and will be tailored to the specific risk profile of each sector.

Impact: The standardization of cybersecurity requirements across critical infrastructure reduces fragmentation in the private sector’s approach to cyber risk. This harmonization facilitates the development of sector‑specific best practices, improves supply‑chain security, and ensures that vulnerabilities in one part of the infrastructure do not create cascading failures throughout the economy.

4. Funding and Workforce Development

House Bill 5048 authorizes additional appropriations for the DHS and the NCCC, providing funding for advanced threat‑detection tools, training programs, and workforce development initiatives. The bill also encourages the creation of cyber‑security internships and fellowships in partnership with universities, aiming to cultivate a pipeline of skilled cyber professionals for federal agencies and the private sector.

Impact: The allocation of targeted funding addresses one of the primary bottlenecks in U.S. cyber defense: the shortage of qualified personnel. By investing in education and training, the bill seeks to mitigate the skills gap that has been cited by industry leaders as a critical vulnerability. Moreover, the increased budgets for advanced technologies are expected to enable agencies to adopt machine‑learning‑based intrusion detection systems and other state‑of‑the‑art defensive tools.

5. Legislative and Inter‑Agency Collaboration

The bill encourages collaboration between federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop an integrated cybersecurity policy framework. This framework will align the budgetary priorities of agencies with their cybersecurity objectives, ensuring that resources are allocated in a manner that maximizes risk reduction. Additionally, the bill calls for periodic joint exercises between the NCCC, the DoD Cyber Command, and CISA to test response plans and inter‑agency coordination.

Impact: The policy integration and joint exercises foster a unified approach to cyber risk management. By aligning budgetary decisions with risk metrics, agencies can make evidence‑based investment choices that directly contribute to national cyber resilience. The regularity of joint exercises also provides a practical means to test the effectiveness of the newly established coordination mechanisms, ensuring that the legislation translates into operational capability.

6. International Cooperation and Export Controls

House Bill 5048 extends its scope beyond domestic policy by establishing a cyber‑security collaboration mandate with key allies. The bill encourages the United States to enter into agreements with partners in the European Union, Japan, and Australia to share threat intelligence and best practices. It also revises certain export control regulations to ensure that critical cyber‑security technology can be shared with allies while protecting sensitive capabilities from adversarial use.

Impact: International collaboration is essential in a threat landscape that is increasingly transnational. By formalizing mechanisms for intelligence sharing and technology exchange, the bill positions the United States to benefit from a broader pool of defensive expertise. The refined export controls also strike a balance between openness and security, enabling allied nations to enhance their defenses without compromising U.S. national security interests.

7. Legal and Ethical Considerations

The bill addresses legal concerns related to privacy, civil liberties, and the use of surveillance technology. It incorporates guidance on compliance with the Fourth Amendment and the Privacy Act, ensuring that any monitoring or data collection conducted under the NCCC’s purview is subject to oversight by an independent advisory board. The board will also provide recommendations on balancing national security needs with individual privacy rights.

Impact: By proactively embedding legal safeguards, the legislation helps to maintain public trust in federal cyber operations. The independent advisory board offers a check on executive power, reducing the risk of overreach and ensuring that cybersecurity measures do not infringe upon constitutional protections.

Bottom Line

House Bill 5048 is a comprehensive effort to modernize the United States’ approach to cybersecurity. By creating a centralized coordination center, mandating incident reporting, standardizing security controls for critical infrastructure, investing in workforce development, fostering inter‑agency collaboration, enhancing international cooperation, and embedding legal safeguards, the bill sets a robust framework for safeguarding the nation’s digital assets. Its implementation is expected to reduce cyber‑incident response times, improve coordination across sectors, strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure, and build a more secure cyber ecosystem that can adapt to evolving threats. As the bill moves through the legislative process, its provisions will likely serve as a benchmark for future cyber‑security reforms in the United States and beyond.