[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 263 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 263

To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program 
      to award grants to institutions of higher education for the 
 establishment or expansion of cybersecurity professional development 
                   programs, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 5, 2007

   Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to 
  the Committees on Education and Labor and Homeland Security, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a program 
      to award grants to institutions of higher education for the 
 establishment or expansion of cybersecurity professional development 
                   programs, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Cybersecurity Education Enhancement 
Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CYBERSECURITY TRAINING PROGRAMS 
              AND EQUIPMENT.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through 
the Assistant Secretary of Cybersecurity, shall establish, in 
conjunction with the National Science Foundation, a program to award 
grants to institutions of higher education (and consortia thereof) 
for--
            (1) the establishment or expansion of cybersecurity 
        professional development programs;
            (2) the establishment or expansion (or both) of associate 
        degree programs in cybersecurity; and
            (3) the purchase of equipment to provide training in 
        cybersecurity for either professional development programs or 
        degree programs.
    (b) Roles.--
            (1) Department of homeland security.--The Secretary, acting 
        through the Assistant Secretary and in consultation with the 
        Director of the National Science Foundation, shall establish 
        the goals for the program established under this section and 
        the criteria for awarding grants.
            (2) National science foundation.--The Director of the 
        National Science Foundation shall operate the program 
        established under this section consistent with the goals and 
        criteria established under paragraph (1), including soliciting 
        applicants, reviewing applications, and making and 
        administering awards. The Director may consult with the 
        Assistant Secretary in selecting awardees.
            (3) Funding.--The Secretary shall transfer to the National 
        Science Foundation the funds necessary to carry out this 
        section.
    (c) Awards.--
            (1) Peer review.--All awards under this section shall be 
        provided on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis.
            (2) Focus.--In making awards under this section, the 
        Director shall, to the extent practicable, ensure geographic 
        diversity and the participation of women and underrepresented 
        minorities.
            (3) Preference.--In making awards under this section, the 
        Director--
                    (A) shall give preference to applications submitted 
                by consortia of institutions, to encourage as many 
                students and professionals as possible to benefit from 
                the program established under this section; and
                    (B) shall give preference to any application 
                submitted by a consortium of institutions that includes 
                at least one institution that is eligible to receive 
                funds under title III or V of the Higher Education Act 
                of 1965.
    (d) Institution of Higher Education Defined.--In this section the 
term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a)).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this section $3,700,000 
for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

SEC. 3. E-SECURITY FELLOWS PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--Subtitle C of title II of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 226. E-SECURITY FELLOWS PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        fellowship program in accordance with this section for the 
        purpose of bringing State, local, tribal, and private sector 
        officials to participate in the work of the National 
        Cybersecurity Division in order to become familiar with the 
        Department's stated cybersecurity missions and capabilities, 
        including but not limited to--
                    ``(A) enhancing Federal, State, local, and tribal 
                government cybersecurity;
                    ``(B) developing partnerships with other Federal 
                agencies, State, local, and tribal governments, and the 
                private sector;
                    ``(C) improving and enhancing public/private 
                information sharing involving cyber attacks, threats, 
                and vulnerabilities;
                    ``(D) providing and coordinating incident response 
                and recovery planning efforts; and
                    ``(E) fostering training and certification.
            ``(2) Program name.--The program under this section shall 
        be known as the E-Security Fellows Program.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--In order to be eligible for selection as a 
fellow under the program, an individual must--
            ``(1) have cybersecurity-related responsibilities; and
            ``(2) be eligible to possess an appropriate national 
        security clearance.
    ``(c) Limitations.--The Secretary--
            ``(1) may conduct up to 2 iterations of the program each 
        year, each of which shall be 180 days in duration; and
            ``(2) shall ensure that the number of fellows selected for 
        each iteration does not impede the activities of the Division.
    ``(d) Condition.--As a condition of selecting an individual as a 
fellow under the program, the Secretary shall require that the 
individual's employer agree to continue to pay the individual's salary 
and benefits during the period of the fellowship.
    ``(e) Stipend.--During the period of the fellowship of an 
individual under the program, the Secretary shall, subject to the 
availability of appropriations, provide to the individual a stipend to 
cover the individual's reasonable living expenses during the period of 
the fellowship.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of 
such Act is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to such 
subtitle the following:

``Sec. 226. E-Security Fellows Program.''.
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