Ratcliffe cyber-crime fighting bill passes House

WASHINGTON, DC (Dec. 1, 2015) The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2015 (H.R. 3490) yesterday to provide state and local law enforcement with the tools they need to fight back against cyber-crime and protect our communities. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ratcliffe (R-Texas), now heads to the Senate.

“It’s critical that we stand behind our law enforcement and give them the resources they need to keep us safe. In an increasingly connected society with rapidly evolving technologies, it is no surprise that ‘digital evidence’ plays a prominent role in addressing nearly every crime and security threat we face today,” Ratcliffe said.

“As a former law enforcement official myself, I’ve seen firsthand the new challenges created by cyber-crime, and believe strongly that we have a duty to equip local officers, prosecutors, and judges with the tools and strategies they need to properly respond to these evolving threats.”

H.R. 3490 authorizes the National Computer Forensics Institute (NCFI), widely recognized as the premier cyber-crime training center in the nation. The NCFI has trained more than 4,590 local officials from all 50 states and three U.S. Territories. Its graduates represent more than 1,500 agencies nationwide, including multiple agencies Texas’ Fourth District.

Submitted by Rachel Stephens, Press Secretary, Congressman John Ratcliffe (TX-04)

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