Back in July Sen Moran (R,KS) introduced S 2354, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Act, 2026. The Senate Appropriations Committee published their Report on the bill. The bill includes two cybersecurity mentions. The Report includes a significant number of cybersecurity mentions and earmarks, as well as one UAS discussion.
This bill is similar to S 4795, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025, that was reported in the Senate on July 25th, 2025. No further action was taken on that bill in the 118th Congress, or on it’s House counterpart HR 9026.
Cyber in the Bill
On page 54, the bill allocates $5.5 million (versus $6 million in S 4795) for “local law enforcement grants for prevention, enforcement, and prosecution of cybercrimes against individuals, as authorized by section 1401 of the 2022 Act [division W of PL 117–103], and for a National Resource Center on Cybercrimes Against Individuals, as authorized by section 1402 of the 2022 Act”.
Section 514 (pgs 120-1) includes restrictions on DOC, DOJ, NASA or NSF using funds to buy ‘high-impact or moderate impact information systems’ unless the FBI has conducted a supply-chain risk assessment for the risk of cyber-espionage {(a)(3)} for systems associated with entities that pose a cyber threat (China, Iran, N Korea, or Russia).
Cyber in the Report
Spending Allocations
On pg 31 under the heading ‘Cybersecurity’, the Report provides an amount equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for cybersecurity research, outreach, industry partnerships, and other activities at NIST, including the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.
On pg 35 under the heading ‘Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program’, the Report recommends an amount equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted amount for the Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program.
On pg 170 under the heading ‘CyberCorps: Scholarships for Service’, the Report notes that the “$63,000,000 for the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program. NSF is encouraged to increase the number of scholarships awarded at participating institutions and to increase the number of institutions that receive grants to participate in the program.”
Earmarks (pgs 191-203)
Cybersecurity Readiness Initiative for the Maritime Industrial Base - Groton, CT - Naval & Maritime Consortium - $689,000 – Sen Blumenthal (D,CT) and Sen Murphy (D,CT).
King’s College Cybersecurity Lab - Wilkes-Barre, PA - King’s College - $300,000 – Sen Fetterman (D,PA) and Sen McCormick (R,PA).
Cybersecurity Equipment and Data Management Upgrade - Gulfport, MS - Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, Inc. - $500,000 – Sen Hyde-Smith (R,MS).
Cybercrime Training Facility Equipment - Madisonville, KY - City of Madisonville - $2,500,000 -Sen McConnell (R,KY).
Office Technology Modernization and Cybersecurity Enhancements. - Baltimore City, MD - City of Baltimore - $1,184,000 - Sen Van Hollen (D,MD).
Other Discussions
On page 29, under the heading ‘AI safety testing and evaluations’, the Report notes that the “Committee encourages NIST to continue creating guidance and benchmarks for evaluating and auditing AI capabilities, with a focus on capabilities through which AI could cause harm, such as in the areas of cybersecurity, biosecurity, and nuclear security.”
On page 31, under the heading ‘cybersecurity’, the Report notes that the “Committee remains concerned about the number of cyberattacks affecting the Nation and provides an amount equal to the fiscal year 2024 enacted level for cybersecurity research, outreach, industry partnerships, and other activities at NIST, including the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence.”
On page 31, under the heading ‘firmware resiliency’, the Report notes that the “Committee recognizes that enhancing the private sector’s cybersecurity resilience is a critical component to protecting national security. Therefore, the Committee recommends that NIST undertake the development of cybersecurity guidelines for private companies to implement specific firmware security.”
On page 74, under the heading of ‘Office of Inspector General’, The Report notes that the “Committee directs the [DOC] OIG to continue to perform strict oversight activities for NOAA vessel and satellite procurements, cybersecurity, census data collection, and the Business Applications Solution [BAS] modernization.”
On page 80, under the heading ‘zero trust architecture’, the Report notes that the “Committee continues to support the Department’s [DOJ] Information Technology Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2024–2026, particularly as it implements the Office of Management and Budget’s [OMB] M–22–09 Federal Zero Trust Strategy.
On page 81, under the heading ‘investigating and prosecuting cyber crime’, the Report notes that the “Committee directs the Department [DOJ] to ensure adequate resources are available for investigations and prosecutions to keep pace with growing cyber threats in order to build partner country capacity and successfully prosecute crimes to secure justice for victims and deter future criminal behavior.”
On page 154, under the heading ‘space communications’, the Report notes that the “Committee encourages NASA to prioritize system resiliency, cybersecurity, and capacity improvements to meet growing mission demands and avoid potential bottlenecks that could jeopardize mission timelines or data return.”
On page 165, under the heading ‘National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics [NCSES]’, the Report notes that the “Committee supports the work of the NCSES, and encourages the NCSES to identify, compile, and analyze existing nationwide data and conduct survey research to better understand the National cyber workforce and to support additional NCSES personnel to ensure adequate staffing for this research.”
UAS in Report
On page 34, under the heading ‘UAS training for first responders’, the Report notes that the “Committee encourages NIST, in collaboration with the FAA’s Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence [ASSUREd] Safe program and Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Systems, to help build a federated ecosystem to teach, train, educate, certify and credential first responders to employ UAS skills to crises and emergency management events.”
There are no discussions relating to counter UAS activities.
Moving Forward
The plan in the Senate currently appears to be to add the language of S 2354 to the substitute language for the consideration of HR 4016, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026. The Senate has not yet held their first cloture vote that would allow actual debate to begin on the bill. This probably signifies that there is still some backroom dealing going on to determine the broad outline of what will end up in the Senate version of the bill. Then further dealing with determine what further amendments will be considered on the floor.
Right now, SA 3951 from Sen Collins (Chair of the Appropriations Committee) is the current candidate for the substitute language to be considered, and it includes the language from S 2354. But a lot can happen in the short legislative month of December.