• U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), along with several colleagues, advocated for a new law to strengthen the cybersecurity practices for the United States’ nuclear weapons system, which was signed by President Joe Biden. Reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published in September 2022 and June 2023 found that the National Nuclear System Administration was delinquent in fully implementing federally recommended cybersecurity practices. The legislation first proposed in 2023 and approved Dec. 22, 2023, will set up a Cybersecurity Risk Inventory, Assessment, and Mitigation Working Group within the Department of Defense, requiring them to inventory nuclear systems at risk and develop and implement a strategy for meeting the recommendations of the GAO report. “There are some causes that may not seem worth Congress’ time at first glance. Closing gaps in the cybersecurity practices of our nation’s nuclear systems is not one of them,” Carbajal said in a statement. “I am glad that this bipartisan proposal received bipartisan support throughout our push for its inclusion this year, and that President Biden has also recognized that our proposal is a straightforward pathway to ensuring we have no reason to doubt the security of our most dangerous weapon systems.” The working group would be required to brief Congress within 120 days of the enactment of the proposed language, and submit a completed strategy to the armed services committees by April 1, 2025.
• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced more than $214.9 million in funding for community-led climate resilience and agricultural land acquisition projects, including nearly $17 million for Santa Barbara County, according to a statement from Assemblymember Gregg Hart’s (D-Santa Barbara) office. Of the $17 million, about $7.5 million will go to fund an easement on a 2,549-acre rangeland property in Santa Barbara County; about $5.8 million will help purchase a 310-acre ranch in Santa Barbara County and return the land to the Northern Chumash Tribe; $1.6 million to fund an easement on a 587-acre cattle ranch in Orcutt; and $250,000 for the Northern Chumash Tribal Council to develop a tribal land trust and management program. “These significant state investments will help local work in our region achieve California’s ambitious goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and coastal waters by 2030,” Hart said in a statement. “I congratulate the inspiring work of the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, the California Rangeland Trust, and the Northern Chumash Council for their diligent work to preserve nearly 3,500 acres of open space for future generations. I applaud the community of Cuyama and the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians for their commitment to environmental conservation programs that foster sustainability along the Central Coast.”
• As part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded $150 million in grants to 262 organizations to support the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and young adults. California also introduced the Certified Wellness Coach program and website to support overall physical, emotional, and mental well-being, and build a more diverse behavioral health workforce to help children and youth. “As children across California struggle with mental health challenges, we are building the supports they need—in their schools and communities—to improve their health and well-being,” Newsom said in a statement. “These investments are becoming reality through a diverse workforce that is reaching every community. That’s why we are launching a new program to hire coaches in this space and support wellness for all children and young adults.” Within the grants, $100 million will be dedicated to trauma-informed practices and programs and $50 million will be for youth-driven programs.
This article appears in Jan 4-14, 2024.