--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 18723" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "18723" heading: "Rural and municipal utility advanced cybersecurity grant and technical assistance program" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/18723" units: - "Chapter 162 — Energy Infrastructure" - "Subchapter I — Grid Infrastructure and Resiliency" - "Part B — Cybersecurity" --- # §18723. Rural and municipal utility advanced cybersecurity grant and technical assistance program - (a) **Definitions—** In this section: - (1) **Advanced cybersecurity technology—** The term “advanced cybersecurity technology” means any technology, operational capability, or service, including computer hardware, software, or a related asset, that enhances the security posture of electric utilities through improvements in the ability to protect against, detect, respond to, or recover from a cybersecurity threat (as defined in [section 650 of title 6](/usc/6/650.md)). - (2) **Bulk-power system—** The term “bulk-power system” has the meaning given the term in section 824o(a) of title 16. - (3) **Eligible entity—** The term “eligible entity” means— - (A) a rural electric cooperative; - (B) a utility owned by a political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3), such as a municipally owned electric utility; - (C) a utility owned by any [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), authority, [corporation](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2), or instrumentality of 1 or more political subdivisions of a [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3); - (D) a not-for-profit entity that is in a partnership with not fewer than 6 entities described in subparagraph [(A)](#a-3-A), [(B)](#a-3-B), or [(C)](#a-3-C); and - (E) an investor-owned electric utility that sells less than 4,000,000 megawatt hours of electricity per year. - (4) **Program—** The term “[Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2)” means the Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) established under [subsection (b)](#b). - (b) **Establishment—** Not later than 180 days after November 15, 2021, the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3), in coordination with the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) of Homeland Security and in consultation with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the North American Electric Reliability [Corporation](/usc/42/2297h.md?p=2), and the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, shall establish a [program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2), to be known as the “Rural and Municipal Utility Advanced Cybersecurity Grant and Technical Assistance [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2)”, to provide grants and technical assistance to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, eligible entities to protect against, detect, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats. - (c) **Objectives—** The objectives of the [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) shall be— - (1) to deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies for electric utility systems; and - (2) to increase the participation of eligible entities in cybersecurity threat information sharing [programs](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2). - (d) **Awards—** - (1) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3)— - (A) shall award grants and provide technical assistance under the [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2) to eligible entities on a competitive basis; - (B) shall develop criteria and a formula for awarding grants and providing technical assistance under the [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2); - (C) may enter into cooperative agreements with eligible entities that can facilitate the objectives described in [subsection (c)](#c); and - (D) shall establish a process to ensure that all eligible entities are informed about and can become aware of opportunities to receive grants or technical assistance under the [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2). - (2) **Priority for grants and technical assistance—** In awarding grants and providing technical assistance under the [Program](/usc/42/18791.md?p=2), the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) shall give priority to an eligible entity that, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3)— - (A) has limited cybersecurity resources; - (B) owns assets critical to the reliability of the bulk-power system; or - (C) owns defense critical electric infrastructure (as defined in [section 824o–1(a)](/usc/16/824o–1.md?p=a) of title 16). - (e) **Protection of information—** Information provided to, or collected by, the Federal Government pursuant to this section the disclosure of which the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) reasonably foresees could be detrimental to the physical security or cybersecurity of any electric utility or the bulk-power system— - (1) shall be exempt from disclosure under [section 552(b)(3) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b-3); and - (2) shall not be made available by any Federal [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3), or Tribal authority pursuant to any Federal, [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3), political subdivision of a [State](/usc/42/18791.md?p=3), or Tribal law, respectively, requiring public disclosure of information or records. - (f) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/42/18701.md?p=3) to carry out this section $250,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title I, § 40124, Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 953; Pub. L. 117–263, div. G, title LXXI, § 7143(d)(3), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3663.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Amendments 2022—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “section 650 of title 6” for “section 1501 of title 6”. ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Wage Rate Requirements For provisions relating to rates of wages to be paid to laborers and mechanics on projects for construction, alteration, or repair work funded under div. D or an amendment by div. D of Pub. L. 117–58, including authority of Secretary of Labor, see section 18851 of this title.