[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4715 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4715

To require the National Cyber Director to submit to Congress a plan to 
  establish an institute within the Federal Government to serve as a 
 centralized resource and training center for Federal cyber workforce 
                              development.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 11 (legislative day, July 10), 2024

Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Ossoff) introduced the following bill; 
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
                        and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the National Cyber Director to submit to Congress a plan to 
  establish an institute within the Federal Government to serve as a 
 centralized resource and training center for Federal cyber workforce 
                              development.

    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 ``Federal Cyber Workforce Training Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL CYBER WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
                Representatives;
                    (D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (E) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability 
                of the House of Representatives.
            (3) Cyber work role.--The term ``cyber work role'' means--
                    (A) a role indicated in the NICE framework for new 
                hires and personnel seeking transition to mid-career 
                positions; and
                    (B) a role relating to work involving designing, 
                building, securing, operating, defending, and 
                protecting cyberspace resources.
            (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the National 
        Cyber Director.
            (5) Federal institute.--The term ``Federal institute'' 
        means the Federal institute described in the plan required 
        under subsection (b)(1).
            (6) NICE framework.--The term ``NICE framework'' means 
        Special Publication 800-181 of the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology entitled ``Workforce Framework for 
        Cybersecurity (NICE Framework)'', or any successor document.
            (7) Work-based learning.--The term ``work-based learning'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Carl D. 
        Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 
        2302).
    (b) Requirement.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, the 
        Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and the head of 
        any other agency the Director determines necessary, shall 
        submit to Congress and make publicly available a plan for the 
        establishment of a Federal institute to provide--
                    (A) training for personnel hired for cyber work 
                roles in the Federal Government, including new hires 
                and personnel seeking transition to mid-career 
                positions, which may include upskilling and reskilling 
                efforts; and
                    (B) training for personnel with responsibilities 
                for human resource functions relating to cyber 
                personnel.
            (2) Institute functions.--The plan required under paragraph 
        (1) shall provide for the Federal institute to--
                    (A) provide modularized cyber work role-specific 
                training, including hands-on learning and skill-based 
                assessments, to prepare newly hired Federal personnel 
                from a wide variety of academic and professional 
                backgrounds to perform effectively in Federal cyber 
                work roles;
                    (B) coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland 
                Security, the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of 
                other agencies determined necessary by the Director to 
                develop a cyber work role-specific curriculum for the 
                training provided under subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in accordance with the NICE framework; 
                        and
                            (ii) in consideration of other Federal 
                        cyber training programs;
                    (C) prioritize entry-level positions in the 
                provision of curriculum development and training;
                    (D) address the training needs of--
                            (i) personnel seeking transition to mid-
                        career positions; and
                            (ii) personnel with responsibilities for 
                        human resources functions relating to cyber 
                        personnel;
                    (E) include curriculum development and training for 
                Federal cyber workers seeking transition to mid-career 
                positions, which may include upskilling and reskilling 
                efforts;
                    (F) consider developing a specific module to 
                familiarize and train appropriate Federal Government 
                hiring managers and human resources staff in the unique 
                challenges in recruiting and hiring personnel for 
                Federal cyber work force roles;
                    (G) incorporate work-based learning in personnel 
                training;
                    (H) develop a badging system to communicate 
                qualification and proficiency for individuals who 
                successfully complete training through the Federal 
                institute with consideration of systems used by the 
                intelligence community;
                    (I) offer in-person and virtual options to 
                accommodate various learning environments for 
                individuals; and
                    (J) provide training to individuals irrespective of 
                whether an individual has a college degree or a college 
                degree in a cyber-related discipline.
            (3) Plan elements.--The plan required under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) recommend an organizational placement for the 
                Federal institute, which may include a single agency or 
                a combination of agencies;
                    (B) to the greatest extent practicable, align 
                training and tools, including cyber work roles and 
                competencies and the associated tasks, knowledge, and 
                skills from--
                            (i) the Special Publication of the National 
                        Institute of Standards and Technology 800-181, 
                        Revision 1, entitled ``National Initiative for 
                        Cybersecurity Education Workforce Framework for 
                        Cybersecurity'', or any successor special 
                        publication; or
                            (ii) other applicable publications, 
                        studies, or guidance of the Federal Government;
                    (C) identify--
                            (i) elements of the Federal institute and 
                        its functions that could use existing 
                        facilities, resources, and programs of the 
                        Federal Government; and
                            (ii) elements of the Federal institute and 
                        its functions that would require new 
                        facilities, resources, and programs of the 
                        Federal Government in order to implement the 
                        plan required under paragraph (1);
                    (D) recommend a course curriculum, delivery method, 
                and length of curriculum for the training provided 
                under paragraph (1)(A) using Federal Government cyber 
                training programs as models, including the Joint Cyber 
                Analysis Course of the Department of Defense and the 
                Federal Cyber Defense Skilling Academy of the 
                Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;
                    (E) recommend a policy for individuals who do not 
                complete required training;
                    (F) describe a security clearance process to 
                complete some level of security clearance for 
                appropriate individuals while individuals are enrolled 
                in training;
                    (G) recommend a governance structure for the 
                Federal institute that would ensure ongoing interagency 
                coordination in the development of a curriculum, the 
                provision of training, and other considerations the 
                Director determines appropriate;
                    (H) provide an estimate of the funding and new 
                authorities required to establish and operate the 
                Federal institute;
                    (I) describe any requirements for the Federal 
                institute to conduct work in a classified setting;
                    (J) identify how the Federal institute would--
                            (i) provide some or all of the training 
                        required by paragraph (1)(A) through 5 academic 
                        institutions from among academic institutions 
                        that--
                                    (I) are designated by the National 
                                Security Agency as a National Center of 
                                Academic Excellence in cybersecurity 
                                for cyber defense, cyber research, and 
                                cyber operations; and
                                    (II) have an operational sensitive 
                                compartmented information facility; and
                            (ii) select the 5 academic institutions 
                        under clause (i);
                    (K) identify how the instructors of the Federal 
                institute will remain current with respect to 
                cybersecurity knowledge, skills and abilities through 
                scholarship or other means; and
                    (L) identify how the Federal institute will 
                maintain the quality and longevity of instructors.
            (4) Consultation.--In developing a plan for the Federal 
        institute, the Director shall consult with the Director of the 
        Office of Personnel Management, the Chief Human Capital 
        Officers Council, the Chief Information Officers Council, and 
        the Chief Learning Officers Council to establish tools for 
        human resources professionals of the Federal Government to 
        develop the knowledge, skills and abilities required to manage 
        the career life cycle of cyber professionals from recruitment 
        to retirement.
    (c) Briefing.--Not later than 270 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall provide to the appropriate 
congressional committees a briefing on the plan required under 
subsection (b)(1), including an estimate of the funding and the 
authorities necessary to implement the plan.
    (d) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are authorized to be 
appropriated for the purpose of carrying out this Act.
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