Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would have set into state statute the cybersecurity center he created two years ago.
In his veto message, Brown said cybersecurity threats against the state are constantly changing and AB 1306 would “unduly limit the center’s flexibility as it pursues its mission to protect the state against cyberattacks.”
Brown created the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC) in a 2015 executive order, directing state leaders to craft a cybersecurity strategy for the state. The center currently operates in a secure location overseen by the Office of Emergency Services.
The bill by Assemblyman Jay P. Obernolte, R-Big Bear Lake, would have codified the center into state law and authorized the OES director to administer, authorize and allocate federal homeland security grant funding.
The center currently runs on federal funds, but an Assembly Appropriations Committee analysis earlier this year found that it could cost the state $1.8 million to operate the center should those funds dry up. In effort to soften that financial burden, Obernolte amended his bill so that a governor could suspend Cal-CSIC operations if federal funding became unavailable.
Obernolte, who had argued that his bill would enhance the state’s cybersecurity preparedness, said he was disappointed Brown used his veto pen.
“This bill would have strengthened our state’s commitment to addressing cybersecurity threats,” Obernolte said in a statement to Techwire. “With the recent rise in cybersecurity breaches, it is clear that we need to implement the proper safeguards to ensure that the security of the public’s personal information is not compromised.”
