State technology officials urged lawmakers during a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on May 21 to renew federal cybersecurity funding for state and local governments.
Local governments continue to face growing cybersecurity threats, state officials testified, arguing that sustained federal support remains essential to strengthening defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks.
They pointed in particular to the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), created under the 2021 infrastructure law to help governments reduce cyber risks. Congress reauthorized the SLCGP earlier this year, but it remains unfunded.
Tennessee Chief Information Officer Kristin Darby said her state saw consistent improvements in local cybersecurity defenses through the program. Darby said the program helped Tennessee to secure nearly 90,000 endpoints on local government networks and strengthened coordination among federal, state, and local officials.
“Many of these local governments simply could not deploy or sustain these capabilities on their own,” Darby said.
She also highlighted how renewed funding would help Tennessee respond to cyberattacks increasingly fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) and support workforce development initiatives focused on AI and cybersecurity tools.
“AI has become an integral part of our operational readiness,” she said.
Florida Chief Information Officer Warren Sponholtz echoed Darby’s comments on AI, adding that grant funding could also help governments adapt to advances in the emerging technology.
“We are looking at it … so that we can operate faster, more efficiently,” Sponholtz said. “But I think the real answer is collaboration between state, federal, private sector, to be able to develop solutions to … fight fire with fire and use AI to be able to defend this nation and the governments within it.”
Colin Ahern, New York’s director of security and intelligence, said that states are increasingly being asked to confront nation-state cyber threats without sufficient federal backing.
“Our states are on the front lines of multiple cyber conflicts, yet we are being asked to manage nation-state risks while our federal partners step back,” he said.
Ahern also said the grant process should be easier for states and local governments to navigate.
Several subcommittee members expressed support for renewing the funding and expanding assistance for state and local cyber efforts.
Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., said the federal government plays a critical role in bringing together government agencies, private companies, and cybersecurity experts.
“One of the most cost-effective things we can do at the federal government level is play that convening role,” Walkinshaw said. “There is no other entity that can as effectively bring together governments, the private sector, [and] experts, to share information and develop solutions together.”
Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., said the Trump administration has “eviscerated” programming at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, leaving roughly 1,100 positions vacant. She called the situation “unacceptable” and urged lawmakers to reauthorize the grant program.
Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., who introduced legislation approved by the House last year to reauthorize SLCGP funding, said “reauthorization alone is not enough,” and urged lawmakers to examine how to improve the program moving forward.