The RESILIENCE Act of 2026 establishes a pilot program to train local officials in infrastructure security and authorizes CISA to provide critical infrastructure owners and at-risk nonprofits with centralized access to security guidance and best practices.
Lauren Underwood
Representative
IL-14
The RESILIENCE Act of 2026 strengthens national security by establishing a pilot program to train local officials in critical infrastructure risk assessment and creating centralized clearinghouses for security guidance. This legislation enhances collaboration between CISA and stakeholders—including at-risk nonprofit organizations—by providing accessible best practices and resources. Additionally, the bill mandates annual reporting on outreach efforts to ensure consistent security support across all critical infrastructure sectors.
RESILIENCE Act Launches Security Training Pilot and Digital Safety Clearinghouses for Communities by 2026
The RESILIENCE Act of 2026 is essentially a move to upgrade the 'neighborhood watch' for our digital and physical backbone. It kicks off a one-year pilot program designed to turn local, Tribal, and state officials into security experts by training them to spot vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure—think power grids, water systems, and transit hubs. Within a year of the bill becoming law, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has to get this training off the ground, ensuring that the people closest to your community have the tools to identify terrorism risks before they become headlines.
A Digital Toolbox for Local Safety
One of the biggest shifts here is the creation of 'clearinghouses'—centralized digital hubs where infrastructure owners can grab the latest security playbooks. This isn't just for big utility companies; the bill specifically opens these doors to 501(c)(3) nonprofits that the Secretary of Homeland Security flags as being at risk for an attack. If you volunteer for a local community center or a house of worship that meets these criteria, your organization could gain direct access to CISA’s best practices and guidance. To keep things accessible, the bill mandates that all content follow the Plain Writing Act, meaning you shouldn’t need a law degree or a tech manual to understand how to protect your building.
Tracking Progress and Cutting Red Tape
To make sure this doesn't just become another quiet government program, CISA will be required to publish an annual report detailing exactly how they’re reaching out to different sectors. Whether you live in a high-rise in the city or on a farm in a rural county, the report must break down outreach efforts by geography and industry. Interestingly, the bill gives CISA a bit of a 'fast pass' by exempting these new rules from the Paperwork Reduction Act. While that sounds like boring bureaucracy, it’s a double-edged sword: it allows the agency to move faster without the usual administrative hurdles, but it also means there’s less oversight on how much data they ask people to hand over.
Staying Grounded in Civil Rights
Even with the focus on high-level security and risk assessments, the bill includes a specific 'hands-off' clause regarding your rights. It explicitly states that none of these new security measures waive or change existing federal civil rights laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. This ensures that as local officials are trained to harden infrastructure, they still have to follow the rules that protect everyone’s access and fair treatment. It’s a safeguard meant to ensure that 'tighter security' doesn't accidentally become a barrier to the people the infrastructure is supposed to serve.