HR7208-119

What This Bill Does

The PROTECT the Grid Act focuses on foreign-adversary-controlled software for high-wattage connected devices. Its findings describe electric vehicle chargers, dryers, smart air conditioners, water heaters, ovens, and other connected appliances as potential remote-control points for manipulating power demand. It highlights risks from companies under foreign adversary jurisdiction or direction, especially the People's Republic of China, including political oversight, data-access laws, consumer-data collection, foreign-controlled major appliance market share, and MaDIoT-style demand manipulation that could cause frequency imbalances, cascading failures, blackouts, and critical infrastructure disruption. The bill defines high-wattage IoT devices as internet-connected devices capable of consuming or controlling more than 500 watts, and defines foreign adversary-controlled applications through covered entities tied to covered nations under title 10. Within 270 days, Commerce, in coordination with relevant federal officials, must report to congressional committees on deployment of high-wattage IoT devices, risks from foreign-adversary-controlled applications in consumer products, national-security and grid impacts, and public comments from industry experts, domestic producers, importers, consumer groups, and stakeholders. Recommendations may include applying Executive Order 13873 ICTS supply-chain authorities to IoT devices, restrictions or conditions on transactions involving foreign-adversary-controlled applications, federal procurement restrictions, certification or labeling requirements, and other measures.

Who Benefits and How

Electric grid operators, household energy consumers, domestic appliance producers, U.S. cybersecurity officials, critical-infrastructure owners, and congressional oversight committees benefit from a focused assessment of whether foreign-controlled smart appliance applications could destabilize the grid. Domestic manufacturers may benefit if procurement, certification, labeling, or transaction restrictions disadvantage foreign-adversary-controlled apps. Consumers benefit if the report leads to clearer labeling or safer device ecosystems.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Commerce Department staff, relevant federal officials, importers, smart appliance vendors, IoT platform operators, foreign-adversary-controlled application providers, and federal procurement offices must participate in the risk review, comments, mitigation analysis, and possible follow-on restrictions. Companies tied to covered nations face scrutiny of applications controlling high-wattage devices. Consumer product makers may face certification, labeling, transaction, or procurement conditions if Commerce recommends them.

Key Provisions

• Defines high-wattage IoT devices as internet-connected devices consuming or controlling more than 500 watts.
• Defines foreign-adversary-controlled applications through covered entities tied to covered nations.
• Requires a Commerce report within 270 days on grid and critical-infrastructure risks from foreign-adversary-controlled applications.
• Requires consideration of device deployment, consumer product risks, national-security impacts, cascading failures, and stakeholder input.
• Authorizes recommendations for ICTS transaction restrictions, federal procurement restrictions, certification, labeling, and other mitigations.
• Frames smart appliance demand manipulation as a national-security and electric-grid stability risk.