US State Cyber Leaders Urge Congress to Restore Grant Funding

State cybersecurity leaders from Tennessee, New York, and Florida urged Congress to restore funding for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP) last Thursday.

The request comes as state officials warn that federal budget cuts and inflexible coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) leave critical infrastructure vulnerable. With the rise of AI-driven threats, these leaders argue that current funding levels are insufficient to protect public services from escalating attacks.

During a hearing before the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee in Washington, D.C., state chief information officers and cyber leaders detailed the gaps in their current defenses. Three states ^[1] testified on the necessity of additional federal support to maintain a resilient security posture across state and local governments.

Officials said the SLCGP is vital for bridging the resource gap between federal intelligence and local implementation. They said that federal cutbacks to cyber grants have hampered their ability to deploy necessary tools and personnel. The leaders called for a more streamlined coordination process with CISA to ensure that threat intelligence is shared and acted upon more efficiently.

The testimony highlighted a growing tension between federal oversight and state-level operational needs. State leaders said that without a predictable and sustainable funding stream, the ability to defend against sophisticated actors will diminish. This vulnerability is particularly acute for smaller municipalities that rely on state-level grants to secure their networks.

The officials requested that Congress not only resume previous funding levels but also expand the scope of the SLCGP to meet the demands of a modern threat landscape. They said that the current framework lacks the flexibility required to respond to rapidly evolving cyber threats.