The U.S. Senate Wednesday agreed to postpone until September debate on a bill to bolster cybersecurity.
The legislation, known as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, would direct the federal government to share cyber threats with businesses and shield companies that exchange information and best practices about cybersecurity from antitrust liability.
The deal addresses concerns expressed by senators who charged that the measure as it stands will fail to prevent cyberattacks or protect privacy sufficiently.
The agreement means that Democratic Senators Ron Wyden (Ore.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.) and Al Franken (Minn.), along with Republican Senators Rand Paul (Ky.) and Dean Heller (Nev.), all will be able to offer amendments they say strengthen civil liberties and improve the bill.
“We’ve got to debate some real things like cybersecurity, and have real amendments, not pretend amendments,” Leahy told National Journal.