State & Local Cybersecurity: Threats, Federal Partnership, & the Resilience of America’s Communities

The Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing on May 22, 2026, focused on the cybersecurity threats facing state and local governments, the effectiveness of federal support programs, and strategies to enhance cyber resilience. Key procurement-related discussions centered on the state and local cybersecurity grant program, which has provided $1 billion over four years but is set to expire in September 2026. Witnesses from Tennessee, New York, Florida, and the Center for Democracy and Technology emphasized the critical need for reauthorization and increased funding of this grant program to support cybersecurity infrastructure, workforce development, and shared services, especially for rural and under-resourced communities. They highlighted the importance of federal partnership, including restoring funding and staffing at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and supporting information sharing through entities like the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). The hearing also addressed the emerging challenges posed by artificial intelligence in cyber threats and defense, with calls for flexible grant usage, rapid response funding mechanisms, and enhanced collaboration between federal, state, and private sectors. Several witnesses detailed their states' investments in cybersecurity operations centers, shared services procurement models, and workforce training programs. The committee discussed the need for improved metrics to measure cybersecurity success and the importance of maintaining paper ballots for election security. The hearing concluded with a consensus on the urgency of reauthorizing and adequately funding the state and local cybersecurity grant program to ensure robust defense against escalating cyber threats.