PRINTER'S NO. 2705
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 309
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY BONNER, GLEIM, SCIALABBA, GAYDOS, STAMBAUGH,
SMITH, FEE, PICKETT, KAUFFMAN, STAATS, GILLEN, KEEFER,
SCHEUREN, MOUL, HAMM, MALONEY, KRUPA, ROAE, HEFFLEY,
ZIMMERMAN, BARTON, JOZWIAK, ROWE, BANTA AND COOPER,
MARCH 14, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
MARCH 14, 2024
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
2 study reviewing the risk to critical infrastructure from
3 foreign purchases of critical infrastructure assets and
4 adjacent land in this Commonwealth.
5 WHEREAS, On November 25, 2023, equipment at a booster station
6 owned by the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa was hacked
7 by an Iranian-backed cyber group; and
8 WHEREAS, Following the cyber attack, deputy national security
9 adviser Anne Neuberger said that American companies and
10 operators of critical infrastructure "are facing persistent and
11 capable cyber attacks from hostile countries and criminals"; and
12 WHEREAS, On February 4, 2024, portions of the Pennsylvania
13 Courts website were impacted by a denial of service cyber
14 attack, which occurs when malicious actors flood the targeted
15 host or network with traffic until the target cannot respond or
16 simply crashes, preventing access for legitimate users; and
17 WHEREAS, The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United
 1 States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee comprised of the
2 Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, the
3 Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Commerce, the
4 Department of Defense, the Department of State, the Department
5 of Energy, the Office of the United States Trade Representative
6 and the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
7 WHEREAS, CFIUS is authorized to suspend or prohibit certain
8 transactions involving foreign investment in the United States
9 that threaten to impair the national security of the United
10 States; and
11 WHEREAS, CFIUS' review of foreign investment transactions
12 includes a review of the transaction participants' relationship
13 to foreign governments, the impact on cybersecurity and the risk
14 to sensitive data; and
15 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth has no analogous process for
16 reviewing foreign investments for foreign purchases of critical
17 infrastructure assets and adjacent land that threaten to impair
18 the security of the Commonwealth; and
19 WHEREAS, As the elected representatives of the people of this
20 Commonwealth tasked with the stewardship of our Commonwealth's
21 resources, it is our duty and responsibility to discern what can
22 be done to protect our Commonwealth's critical infrastructure
23 from attack; therefore be it
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
25 State Government Commission to conduct a study reviewing the
26 risk to critical infrastructure from foreign purchases of
27 critical infrastructure assets and adjacent land in this
28 Commonwealth for possible security implications; and be it
29 further
30 RESOLVED, That the study consider the types of infrastructure
20240HR0309PN2705 - 2 -
 1 in this Commonwealth that represent critical infrastructure that
2 requires additional consideration and protection from the
3 security risks that come from foreign purchases; and be it
4 further
5 RESOLVED, That the study include an examination of the
6 possible risk to Commonwealth security that comes from the
7 foreign purchase of critical infrastructure assets and adjacent
8 land in this Commonwealth; and be it further
9 RESOLVED, That the study examine practices of the other 49
10 states to determine how they protect their critical
11 infrastructure assets and adjacent lands, identify best
12 practices from the 49 states and determine the feasibility of
13 implementing best practices in this Commonwealth; and be it
14 further
15 RESOLVED, That the study examine CFIUS, including how it
16 operates and whether the creation of a similar process in this
17 Commonwealth would be beneficial in protecting the critical
18 infrastructure assets and adjacent land of this Commonwealth;
19 and be it further
20 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission be
21 authorized to request information that is not protected from
22 disclosure from Commonwealth agencies, authorities, commissions
23 and departments for the study on behalf of the House of
24 Representatives; and be it further
25 RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a
26 report of its findings and recommendations and submit the report
27 to the General Assembly no later than 24 months after the
28 adoption of this resolution.
20240HR0309PN2705 - 3 -