The Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act establishes a federal program to provide grants and technical assistance to small electric utilities, including rural cooperatives, municipally owned systems, and smaller investor-owned companies. The program aims to help these entities deploy advanced cybersecurity technologies and participate in threat information sharing networks to better protect against cyberattacks. Funding is prioritized for utilities with limited security resources or those operating critical infrastructure that supports the national power grid. The bill authorizes $250 million in appropriations over five years, from fiscal year 2027 through 2031, and exempts shared cybersecurity information from public disclosure under freedom of information laws.
This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to formally disclaim any federal interest in approximately 15.12 acres of land in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The land was originally platted under a specific section of the Revised Statutes and is identified on a map dated December 22, 1893. The action excludes any portion of the property that falls within the boundaries of the Kootenai Indian Reservation. The Secretary must issue this recordable disclaimer within 90 days of the bill's enactment to facilitate the transfer of ownership.
The Outer Continental Shelf Lease Restoration Act of 2026 allows companies holding adjacent offshore wind leases to acquire nearby areas where previous wind energy leases were surrendered, paying only the original minimum bid price per acre. The bill ratifies prior environmental reviews for these specific lease areas to streamline the transfer process, while requiring that any unclaimed land be re-offered for sale within 90 days under the same terms as before. Companies that originally surrendered their leases are barred from reacquiring those specific areas, and the Secretary of the Interior is prohibited from issuing new oil or gas permits until all wind lease transfers and re-sales are completed.
The Pennington County Land Conveyance Act directs the transfer of approximately 8.97 acres of federal land from the Black Hills National Forest to Pennington County, South Dakota. This transfer is made without payment and includes any existing improvements on the property. Upon completion, the boundary of the national forest will be adjusted to reflect the change in ownership. The county is authorized to use the land for a public works facility or other necessary purposes determined by local officials.
The No Bonuses for Utility Executives Act restricts performance bonuses for top executives at state-regulated electric utilities starting in 2027. A utility is only permitted to pay a bonus if its average customer rate increases do not exceed the annual inflation rate, and any allowed bonus is capped at 25 percent of the median salary of non-executive employees. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission must review reported data on rates and compensation to approve bonuses before they are paid. If a utility violates these rules or fails to report accurately, the bonus is forfeited to the U.S. Treasury, and the recovered funds are distributed directly to the utility’s customers as individual payments.
