While the nation wrestles with legislation to curb online piracy without compromising the freedom and innovation of the Internet and Web services, more techno-legislation may be coming down the pike, courtesy of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-CT). Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), the Homeland Security Committee's ranking member, and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, are expected to co-sponsor the bill.

According to The Hill, the new proposed legislation, which is expected to be introduced this week, would give the Homeland Security Department regulatory authority over companies with computer systems deemed to be crucial to the nation's economic and physical security. The bill would require companies to take “adequate precautions” to protect their networks and data. To this end, the National Institute of Standards and Technology would help by determining best practices and standards, with input from industry.

The legislation will be considered on Thursday at a meeting of the Homeland Security Committee. Both government interests and representatives from the tech industry are expected to attend. While similar cybersecurity legislation in the House has mostly focused on providing incentives for industry to share information on threats and attacks, says The Hill, lawmakers are bound to be proceed warily with the new bills. With the debacle that unfolded before the public with the now-shelved Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA), the Committee will be under extra pressure to present realistic, workable legislation that does not tread on Americans' technological civil liberties.