A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced a bill on Wednesday that would launch a $500 million grant program to help state and local governments bolster security in their computer networks. The proposal comes as the nation is grappling with a series of cybersecurity attacks that had crippled infrastructure in state and local agencies, schools, and private corporations across the country. This includes ransomware attacks that had forced a school district in Massachusetts to cancel its first day of in-person classes and a separate attack against the Colonial Pipeline, which halted fuel operations resulting in gas shortages across several states. The bill, dubbed the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, seeks to augment state and local government resources to deal with cybersecurity vulnerabilities, including encouraging them to increase cybersecurity funding and develop strategies to address the threats. The proposal also encourages state and local governments to work closely with the Department of Homeland Security, the …