Multiple press outlets are reporting on remarks from Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.) regarding his intent to take up cybersecurity legislation during the 112th Congress. In remarks at the 2011 State of the Net Conference, sponsored by the Congressional Internet Caucus, Goodlatte reportedly said that the Judiciary Committee should explore the use of “limited liability protections” as an incentive for companies to do more to protect their infrastructure from cyber attacks. Goodlatte is a senior member of the House Committee on the Judiciary and the chair of the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet.
This is a further indication of the interest around cybersecurity legislation in the next Congress. During the 111th Congress, the Senate Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee each approved competing cybersecurity bills. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said that reconciling these proposals and enacting comprehensive cybersecurity legislation will be a top priority in the 112th Congress.