H.R. 3776 would codify the role and responsibilities of an existing office within the Department of State that works to advance U.S. interests in cyberspace and coordinates U.S. efforts to promote open, reliable, and secure communications technology. In addition, the act would require the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess and report to the Congress on the extent to which international actors threaten the personal information of U.S. citizens and the department’s efforts to protect such personal information. Finally, H.R. 3776 would require the department to brief or report to the Congress on:
Executive agreements on cyberspace policy made with other countries;
Updates to an existing international policy on cyberspace; and
Freedom of expression through electronic means in foreign countries.
The department indicated that implementing H.R. 3776 would not change the current policies and practices of the office nor would it impose any additional costs. Using information about the costs of similar reports, CBO estimates that implementing the reporting requirements under H.R. 3776 would cost less than $500,000 each year and total $1 million over the 2019-2023 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
Enacting H.R. 3776 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3776 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
H.R. 3776 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
