If passed, the bill would require agency heads to provide information on their cybersecurity workforce plans including recruitment, hiring and training details.

But s controversial provision in the original bill that would have given the president near complete authority to disconnect private and government networks from the Internet in the event of a cyber emergency has been removed in the new version of the bill.

Instead, the revised bill calls for the President to work with key executive in critical infrastructure industries to formulate an appropriate response in a cyber crisis.

The smooth passage of the bill through the Senate Commerce Committee is a sign of the broad bi-partisan support that the bill has garnered so far. Many see the legislation as vital to building the capabilities needed to respond to the array of cyber threats facing government, critical infrastructure and private industry these days.

In a statement, Mike Bregman, Symantec Corp.'s chief technology officer, lauded the passage of the bill out of committee. "The bill recognizes cybersecurity as a share, public/private collaboration, led by private sector innovation and based on market-driven incentives," Bregman said.