WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act. This bill aims to streamline processes, reduce cost-burdens to rural home owners and small developers, and provide affordable housing incentives.

“By expanding access to historic tax credits, we can preserve our nation’s rich heritage while also incentivizing the construction of more affordable housing. I’m proud to join Senator Capito in introducing this legislation to bring new life to abandoned buildings and grow the housing stock in in rural communities,” Senator Warner said.

“Being a rural state shouldn’t mean losing out on private investment incentives like tax credits to help us preserve our communities’ history and revitalize local economies,” Senator Capito said. “I have enjoyed working with the dedicated group of West Virginians who brought this issue to my attention and who provided important perspectives during the creation of this legislation. The Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act will help level the playing field for communities in West Virginia by attracting investment for economic expansion and additional housing supply.”


BACKGROUND:

Currently, many historic tax projects are not economically viable in small and rural areas, giving a disproportionate advantage of the credit to large urban developments. The costs associated with the credit as-is severely limits rural areas, and especially largely rural states like West Virginia, from being able to use the credit to rehabilitate and revitalize historic properties.

Through improvements to the credit included in the Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act, rural Historic Tax Credit projects will be more financially feasible and will result in a higher number of these projects being completed in rural areas and states.

The Rural Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act:

• Makes historic tax credit projects in rural areas eligible for an increased credit from the current 20% to 30%.
• Includes an additional increase in the credit to 40% for affordable housing creation.
• Allows the credit be used in addition to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
• Allows small rural projects to claim the credit in the first year of use.
• Allows transferability of the credit to a third-party.
• Eliminates basis adjustment to simplify credit transaction.

This bill is supported by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia, The Historic Tax Credit Coalition, Main Street America, and The National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Click here for more on what others are saying about the bill.

Click here to view a one-pager on the bill.

Click here for full bill text.

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded congressional passage of the S.4367, the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, which will help maintain clean drinking water across the country and includes key provisions to support the local oyster industry, strengthen Virginia’s coastal resiliency, improve recreational access to Virginia’s waterways, and encourage the dredging of the Chesapeake Bay to support tourism and recreation, among other Virginia priorities. The legislation now heads to President Biden to be signed into law.

“We’re proud that the legislation headed to the president’s desk provides funding and resources for water infrastructure projects across Virginia,” said the senators. “It includes key provisions to keep our communities healthy and safe and combat the effects of rising sea levels and increased flooding from significant weather events while investing in tourism, recreational development, and Virginia’s oyster industry.” 

Added the senators, “We are especially pleased that this bill will honor civil rights attorney Reuben Lawson’s legacy of social justice by renaming the federal building in Roanoke in his memory.”  

The legislation would help repair aging drinking water, wastewater, and irrigation systems across the country, in addition to supporting the following Virginia priorities:

• Includes Warner and Kaine’s legislation to rename the federal courthouse in Roanoke the “Reuben E. Lawson Federal Building” in honor of the life and legacy of civil rights lawyer Reuben Lawson.
• Increases the authorized funding levels for the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program from $100 million to $120 million.
• Encourages shallow draft dredging in the Chesapeake Bay, which is critical for tourism, recreation, and the fishing industry.
• Adds the City of Norfolk to the Temporary Relocation Assistance Pilot Program to boost the city’s climate resilience.
• Authorizes the Army Corps to conduct a feasibility study on enhancing downstream recreation activities for Gathright Dam, Lake Moomaw, and the Jackson River in Alleghany County.
• Authorizes $1.3 million for a wastewater infrastructure project in King William County.
• Authorizes $1 million for wastewater infrastructure, environmental infrastructure, and water quality improvements in the vicinity of the Potomac River.
• Greenlights proposed feasibility studies for projects at Cedarbush Creek in Gloucester County, Chickahominy River in James City County, Timberneck Creek in Gloucester County, York River in York County, and flood risk management in James City County. 
• Expedites completion of maintenance dredging of the federally authorized navigation channels Parrotts Creek, Jackson Creek, and Horn Harbor, Va.
• Expedites completion of a flood risk management study for the Kanawha River Basin in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina.  
• Establishes an expedited completion track for Virginia Beach Coastal Storm Risk Management Study.
• Establishes an expedited completion track to modify the Norfolk Harbor Deepening and Widening Project to include Anchorage F.
• Establishes an expedited completion track for and requires the federal government to pick up 90% of the cost of conducting a feasibility study to identify a potential secondary water source for the Virginia-DC-Maryland region.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released a statement after the Senate approved the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), sending the legislation to the president’s desk for his signature. The IAA authorizes funding, provides legal authorities, and enhances congressional oversight of the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

“The annual intelligence authorization bill helps ensure that intelligence agencies have the authorities and resources they need to protect against rapidly evolving conflicts and threats,” said Chairman Warner. “This year’s IAA enhances the IC’s ability to identify and counter emerging technological threats posed by adversarial nations, including foreign adversaries’ efforts to use and dominate areas like artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The IAA also improves engagement between the IC and the private sector, promotes designations of foreign ransomware organizations as hostile cyber actors and furthers the Committee’s efforts to ensure the IC can attract and expeditiously on-board a talented, diverse, and trusted workforce to meet the emerging challenges we face.”  

Background:

The IAA for Fiscal Year 2025 authorizes funding for the IC and ensures that it has the resources, personnel, and authorities it needs to protect our country and inform decision makers, while ensuring continued robust congressional oversight. The bill’s provisions focus on the following key areas:

• Increases oversight of the national security threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including its attempts to evade sanctions, as well as its military capabilities, and investments in, and attempts to dominate, supply chains. 
• Enhances the IC’s ability to identify and counter adversary threats relating to biotechnologies, including by improving and modernizing the roles, missions, and objectives of the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center and by standardizing the IC’s processes for collecting and analyzing biological data.  
• Improves the IC’s response to foreign ransomware organizations, including by promoting the designation of leading ransomware groups as hostile foreign cyber actors.
• Enhances policies relating to AI, including by establishing an AI Security Center within the National Security Agency to advance AI security research.
• Expands the IC’s ability to procure, transition, and incorporate emerging technologies, including by enhancing public-private talent exchanges.
• Increases the IC’s focus on the growing threats to the United States by ISIS and affiliated terrorist organizations.
• Requires the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence of the Department of Energy to advise National Laboratories regarding visitors and assignees who pose counterintelligence risks.
• Builds upon the Committee’s efforts relating to energy security by requiring a strategy to improve information sharing between the IC and the private sector regarding foreign adversary-based threats to U.S. critical minerals and other energy-related projects abroad.
• Requires the IC to conduct an assessment of the likely course of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, and the effects of Western support to Ukraine.
• Requires the IC to conduct an assessment of the lessons learned by the IC with respect to the Israel-Hamas war.
• Improves oversight related to the Western Hemisphere, specifically when it comes to national security implications of visa-free travel by certain foreign nationals.
• Enhances insight into the Venezuela Maduro regime’s relationship with state sponsors of terrorism and foreign terrorist organizations.
• Increases support for IC recruitment and integration.
• Extends the requirement for annual reports on strikes against terrorist targets.
• Requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office regarding unidentified anomalous phenomena reporting and Federal agency coordination.
• Reforms management of controlled access programs to improve congressional oversight.
• Maintains strong congressional oversight of and enhances protections for IC whistleblowers.

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 WASHINGTON — Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic after Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a highly revered Medal of Honor recipient from Lynchburg who saved dozens of lives in World War II, passed the U.S. House of Representatives today in a voice vote and is now headed to the president’s desk for signature.

“Private First Class Desmond Doss was a true American hero. Renaming the Lynchburg VA Clinic after him is a fitting tribute to a man who demonstrated unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers and to his country,” said the senators. “We are proud to see this legislation head to the president’s desk to be signed into law so that future generations of Virginians can be reminded of and inspired by Desmond Doss’ bravery and service.”

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Private First Class Doss was inducted into the Army in April of 1942 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, Private First Class Doss could have tried to refuse enlistment on grounds of being a conscientious objector. Instead, he enlisted as a self-described “conscientious cooperator,” going on to pursue medical roles in the Army.

While serving with his platoon in 1944 in Guam and the Philippines, he was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for exceptional valor in aiding wounded soldiers under fire. Later on, during the Battle of Okinawa, he saved the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen atop the area known by the 96th Division as the Maeda Escarpment or Hacksaw Ridge – an act of heroism that earned him a Medal of Honor, awarded by President Harry Truman. Private First Class Doss was wounded four times in Okinawa, and was evacuated on May 21, 1945, aboard the USS Mercy and was brought to Hawaii.

The legislation to rename the local VA clinic previously passed the Senate in August with the support of a number of veterans organizations and groups, including: the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council Inc.; Salem VA Medical Center; American Legion Post 16; Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 196; Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 1607; Marine Corps League Detachment 759; Military Order of the World Wars, Piedmont Chapter; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Desmond T. Doss Post 12179; the National Center for Healthy Veterans, Valor Farm; and Monument Terrace Troop Rally. The legislation was sponsored in the House by U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA).

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) announced $32,557,965 for Virginia public schools to replace old, polluting school buses with new, zero-emission models. The funding is made possible by the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, which was created through the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation strongly supported by Sens. Warner and Kaine.

“We’re thrilled to see this funding going towards ensuring that Virginia’s students are headed to school in new and nonpolluting school buses,” the senators said. “Laws like our Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan infrastructure law continue to work together to make improvements that keep our air cleaner and our infrastructure stronger for generations to come.”

The funding is broken down as follows. Final project details and funding amounts may change as schools finalize their project needs:

• $16,722,965 for Roanoke City Public Schools to replace 50 school buses.
• $12,900,000 for Fairfax County Public Schools to replace 43 school buses.
• $2,935,000 for Henrico County Public Schools to replace 10 school buses.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have strong records supporting federal funding for upgrades to school buses and other infrastructure across Virginia. The senators’ bipartisan infrastructure law awarded a historic $5 billion for school bus upgrades across the country, with about half of awards still to come. Through that law and additional federal grant programs, the senators have previously announced awards to upgrade hundreds of school buses across several school districts in Virginia. They have also announced significant funding to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the Commonwealth.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), John Thune (R-SD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Todd Young (R-IN) today applauded the passage of two bills to protect the privacy of Americans and remove burdensome health care reporting requirements by allowing certain communications to be filed electronically.

“Health care for Americans has only gotten better and more accessible since the passage of the Affordable Care Act — just ask anyone who faced lifetime limits or was denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition. These two pieces of legislation will make needed adjustments to modernize and streamline ACA reporting requirements to ensure that they don’t needlessly compromise the privacy of Americans or get in the way of their access to health care. I’m proud to have introduced these pieces of legislation and look forward to seeing them signed by President Biden,” said Sen. Warner.

“Small businesses in South Dakota and across the country have been forced to comply with overly burdensome administrative requirements from the Affordable Care Act,” said Sen. Thune. “These bills would eliminate convoluted paperwork and streamline the current reporting requirements to ensure businesses can focus their resources on serving their customers and employees.”

“Employers shouldn’t have to jump through unnecessary hoops to provide health care coverage for their employees,” said Sen. Cortez Masto. “These bills provide flexibility to employers, streamline health insurance reporting, and make communication more secure for employees and employers alike. I urge the president to sign them into law as soon as possible.”

“Under current law, overreaching compliance requirements create uncertainty and stress for employers in Indiana and across the nation. Our bipartisan bills will help reduce these unnecessary burdens and increase efficiency,” said Sen. Young.

The Employer Reporting Improvement Act will protect Americans’ privacy and ease compliance burdens on employers. Among other steps, it will modernize communication by allowing employers to electronically file certain documents. It will also protect privacy by clarifying that the IRS can accept full names and dates of birth in lieu of dependents’ and spouses’ Social Security numbers. In addition, it will ease compliance burdens by extending the time period (from 30 days to 90 days) during which an applicable large employer can appeal a penalty for not offering adequate, affordable health insurance to all full-time employees. Finally, it will enact a six-year statute of limitations for the IRS to levy penalties under the Employer Shared Responsibility provision of the ACA.

The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act will reduce the number of physical forms that employers have to mail to employees as part of complying with the ACA. Currently, employers and health insurance providers that provide minimum essential coverage must report this information to the IRS for each covered individual and provide a copy of this information to the covered individual (through 1095-B or 1095-C tax forms, depending on the coverage type) by January 31 of each year. Current IRS regulations allow employers to provide only 1095-B forms electronically. The Paperwork Burden Reduction Act will codify the current IRS policy by allowing the 1095-B to be provided electronically and would extend this to 1095-C, limiting unnecessary physical paperwork.

The Employer Reporting Improvement Act and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act were approved by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year and now head to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

Full text of the Employer Reporting Improvement Act is available here. Full text of the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act is available here. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce has signed a preliminary agreement for up to $275 million in federal funding for Micron Technology to expand and modernize its manufacturing facility in Manassas, Va. The funding is the result of bipartisan legislation Warner wrote and successfully passed into law over many years to expand American production of semiconductor chips.

“I am proud to announce that $275 million should soon be headed to Virginia for Micron Technology to manufacture more cutting-edge semiconductors here in Virginia,” said Sen. Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. “Making more of these chips in America will strengthen our national security and create jobs, which is why I pushed to pass this funding through Congress, why I am working with Micron and the Biden administration to secure this investment in Virginia, and why I’m going to be making the case to the incoming administration that we need to keep investing in domestic manufacturing of critical and emerging technologies like semiconductors.” 

Nearly everything that has an “on” switch – from cars to phones to washing machines to ATMs to electric toothbrushes – contains a semiconductor, but just a small percentage of these ‘chips’ are currently made in America. Sen. Warner first introduced the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act to restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil in 2020, and 2022, Congress passed into law the CHIPS and Science Act, which included billions in funding championed by Sen. Warner to implement the law he wrote to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

As a result, the Department of Commerce has signed a Preliminary Memorandum of Terms (PMT) with Micron Technology for up to $275 million in proposed funding to expand and modernize its facility in Manassas. The proposed project would onshore Micron’s 1-alpha technology to its Manassas facility, significantly increasing output of more efficient, more powerful chips. Micron’s project in Manassas would create over 400 manufacturing jobs and up to 2700 community jobs at the peak of the project. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) applauded the congressional passage of legislation he cosponsored to provide tax relief for individuals affected by storms in Southwest Virginia.

“Since my time as governor of the Commonwealth, I’ve fought for the people of Southwest Virginia, who are too often overlooked. I’m proud to see the full Congress vote to approve legislation I cosponsored to provide tax relief for those struggling under the weight of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. I will keep doing everything I can at the federal level to pass a full disaster relief package and support Southwest Virginians affected by severe weather events,” said Sen. Warner.

Specifically, the provision cosponsored by Sen. Warner would allow taxpayers to fully deduct qualified disaster casualty losses that exceed $500 and are attributable to federally-declared disasters beginning on January 1, 2020 and ending 60 days following the date of enactment.

In Southwest Virginia, many families affected by Hurricane Helene are facing massive out-of-pocket costs due to not having flood insurance or adequate homeowner’s insurance. This measure will provide needed assistance to those families in particular, allowing them to deduct nearly the full cost of those losses from their taxes and receive speedy assistance in the form of larger refunds during tax season. Currently, taxpayers can deduct losses only when those combined losses exceed 10 percent of the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

The Warner-sponsored provision passed as part of a broader tax package designed to provide tax relief for Americans impacted by recent natural disasters, including various hurricanes and wildfires. This package now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.

Sen. Warner has been a staunch advocate for Virginians affected by Hurricane Helene. Most recently, he led a bipartisan and bicameral group of colleagues in calling on congressional leadership to ensure that any supplemental appropriations bill responding to recent natural disasters include substantial funding for the agencies that manage public lands, including the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS). He has also raised the alarm about the need to allow the U.S. Small Business Administration to continue paying out disaster assistance loans to small businesses, and pushed for a full supplemental package to meet the needs of impacted communities across the country. In November, Sen. Warner also spoke on the Senate floor about his visit to Damascus, a community along the heavily-impacted Creeper Trail, and the long road to recovery to get the trail operational and support the communities and businesses that rely on it.

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WASHINGTON –  Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, a former fair housing lawyer, (both D-VA) announced $1,450,000 in federal funding to address lead-based paint hazards in homes across Virginia. Many older homes still have lead-based paint on walls, which is dangerous when it peels and chips. Young children are most susceptible to lead poisoning and can face long-term developmental delays if exposed. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program, which provides federal funding to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in eligible homes.

“Lead poisoning can pose long-term health issues for those exposed,” the senators said. “This funding will help to protect Virginians from lead-based hazards and help ensure they have safe housing.”

The funding is broken down as follows:

• $750,000 for the City of Roanoke.
• $700,000 for the Commonwealth of Virginia. This funding will be distributed across Virginia by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development’s Lead Hazard Reduction Program.

Sens. Warner and Kaine have long advocated for safe, affordable housing for Virginia families. This funding builds on the $11.6 million in federal funding the senators announced in October to address this issue. Earlier this year, the senators announced over $98 million in federal funding for affordable housing, community development, and homelessness assistance and over $55 million in federal funding for improvements to affordable housing across the Commonwealth. 

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Washington — Today, U.S. Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) in sending a letter to Senate leadership urging both chambers of Congress to bring a robust supplemental appropriations bill to the floor during the first week of December to provide relief to those impacted by Hurricanes Helen and Milton.

“As Senators representing states that were devastated by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, we urge you to swiftly respond to the Biden Administration’s supplemental funding request. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) request for $98 billion in supplemental disaster appropriations is an important first step toward securing the assistance our communities need,” they wrote.  “We are encouraged that the Senate Committee on Appropriations held a hearing with key federal agencies on November 20th to review disaster funding needs. The message was clear: disaster relief cannot wait any longer. We urge you to bring a robust supplemental appropriations bill to the floor the first week of December.”

“Across the Southeastern United States, Hurricane Helene is estimated to have caused $250 billion in damages, and Hurricane Milton is expected to have caused $50 billion in damages. Tragically, approximately 261 people lost their lives as a result of both hurricanes…Our constituents need immediate help as they work to rebuild their homes and communities. We have delayed too long already. We therefore request that Congress act immediately to provide for those in need. We stand ready to pass a supplemental disaster relief bill the first week of December,” they continued. 

Warner and Kaine have continuously advocated for Virginians to receive full access to the resources they need to recover from Hurricane Helene. They successfully advocated for President Biden to declare both an Emergency Declaration and an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia. Earlier this month, Warner and Kaine joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) send the supplemental appropriation request to Congress to support communities that were devastated after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Following their request, President Biden sent a $98 billion in supplemental disaster appropriations request to Congress. That request was revised to include funding to address recovery efforts on Virginia’s public lands. In October, they also sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra urging continued action to address the critical intravenous (IV) fluid shortage affecting hospitals across the nation. This shortage was caused by the temporary closure of Baxter International's manufacturing plant in North Carolina due to flooding from the hurricane. Earlier this week, Kaine reintroduced the Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act, legislation that would streamline the housing assistance process to make it easier for people in communities affected by natural disasters to access financial support.

Full text of the letter is available here. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) led a bipartisan, bicameral group of colleagues in sending a letter to congressional leadership requesting that any supplemental appropriations bill responding to recent natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, include substantial funding for the agencies that manage public lands, including the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Park Service (NPS). 

“When Hurricane Helene brought torrential rainfall and severe winds through our states in late September, catastrophic flooding resulted in hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage,” the lawmakers wrote. “Homes, businesses, and livelihoods were devastated as many communities were left without power, potable water, and cell service – some remain without these critical resources to this day. While thousands of our constituents are beginning to rebuild their lives, many of these communities are simultaneously contending with the fallout that large segments of federally owned public lands that anchor these local economies are closed, not fully opened, or are simply inaccessible to visitors due to Hurricane Helene’s destruction.” 

In addition to Warner and Tillis, the letter was signed by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Ted Budd (R-NC) and U.S. Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC.) 

The lawmakers continued, “Public lands are critical economic engines for many of our communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. For example, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited national park in the U.S. which spans 469 miles through Southwest Virginia and North Carolina, serves as the primary driver of economic activity for many of the communities in Helene’s path. In 2023, the Parkway saw over 16.7 million visitors who spent nearly $1.4 billion in surrounding communities. Visitor spending connected to the Parkway supports over 19,000 jobs in communities throughout Virginia and North Carolina and results in a cumulative economic impact of $1.8 billion to local economies. Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage to the Blue Ridge Parkway that has resulted in indefinite closures of large segments of the roadway and many trails and historical sites. Substantial federal funding is needed for the Parkway to rebuild its infrastructure to support the millions of visitors the park hosts each year, which supports dozens of Appalachian communities.” 

Sen. Warner has been vocal about the need for federal resources to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene. Last week, he welcomed the Biden administration’s request for disaster relief funding, but highlighted the need for additional funding for public lands like the Creeper Trail in Southwest Virginia. Immediately following Hurricane Helene, Sen. Warner, joined by Sen. Kaine and Rep. Griffith, urged President Biden to declare both an Emergency Declaration and an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Virginia, which opened various avenues for financial and physical assistance to help the region recover. Sens. Warner and Tillis, as well as Sen. Kaine, also joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling for a bipartisan appropriations package to meet the needs of Virginians and the millions of Americans affected by the storm.

Full text of the letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, John Cornyn (R-TX), and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced legislation to strengthen cybersecurity in the health care sector and protect Americans’ health data. This legislation is a product of the senators’ health care cybersecurity working group launched last year.

“Cyberattacks on our health care systems and organizations not only threaten personal and sensitive information, but can have life-and-death consequences with even the briefest period of interruption. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that strengthens our cybersecurity and better protects patients,” said Sen. Warner.

“Cyberattacks on our health care sector not only put patients’ sensitive health data at risk but can delay life-saving care,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bipartisan legislation ensures health institutions can safeguard Americans’ health data against increasing cyber threats.”

“In an increasingly digital world, it is essential that Americans’ health care data is protected,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This commonsense legislation would modernize our health care institutions’ cybersecurity practices, increase agency coordination, and provide tools for rural providers to prevent and respond to cyberattacks.”

“Cyberattacks in the health care sector can have a wide range of devastating consequences, from exposing private medical information to disrupting care in ERs – and it can be particularly difficult for medical providers in rural communities with fewer resources to prevent and respond to these attacks,” said Sen. Hassan. “Our bipartisan working group came together to develop this legislation based on the most pressing needs for medical providers and patients, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”

The Health Care Cybersecurity and Resiliency Act of 2024:

• Strengthens cybersecurity in the health care sector by providing grants to health entities to improve cyberattack prevention and response. 
• Provides training to health entities on cybersecurity best practices. 
• Supports rural communities by providing best practices to rural health clinics and other providers on cybersecurity breach prevention, resilience, and coordination with federal agencies.
• Improves coordination between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to better respond to cyberattacks in the health care sector.
• Modernizes current regulations so entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) use the best cybersecurity practices.
• Requires the HHS Secretary to develop and implement a cybersecurity incident response plan.

Click here for full bill text.

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