[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 150 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6486-S6487]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           CIRDA ACT OF 2014

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of H.R. 2952 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 2952) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 to make certain improvements in the laws relating to the 
     advancement of security technologies for critical 
     infrastructure protection, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent that the Carper substitute 
amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time, and 
the Senate proceed to vote on passage of the bill, as amended.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 4001) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Cybersecurity Workforce 
     Assessment Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``Cybersecurity Category'' means a position's 
     or incumbent's primary work function involving cybersecurity, 
     which is further defined by Specialty Area;
       (2) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
     Homeland Security;
       (3) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security; and
       (4) the term ``Specialty Area'' means any of the common 
     types of cybersecurity work as recognized by the National 
     Initiative for Cybersecurity Education's National 
     Cybersecurity Workforce Framework report.

     SEC. 3. CYBERSECURITY WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY.

       (a) Workforce Assessment.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for 3 years, 
     the Secretary shall assess the cybersecurity workforce of the 
     Department.
       (2) Contents.--The assessment required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include, at a minimum--
       (A) an assessment of the readiness and capacity of the 
     workforce of the Department to meet its cybersecurity 
     mission;
       (B) information on where cybersecurity workforce positions 
     are located within the Department;

[[Page S6487]]

       (C) information on which cybersecurity workforce positions 
     are--
       (i) performed by--

       (I) permanent full-time equivalent employees of the 
     Department, including, to the greatest extent practicable, 
     demographic information about such employees;
       (II) independent contractors; and
       (III) individuals employed by other Federal agencies, 
     including the National Security Agency; or

       (ii) vacant; and
       (D) information on--
       (i) the percentage of individuals within each Cybersecurity 
     Category and Specialty Area who received essential training 
     to perform their jobs; and
       (ii) in cases in which such essential training was not 
     received, what challenges, if any, were encountered with 
     respect to the provision of such essential training.
       (b) Workforce Strategy.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
       (A) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, develop a comprehensive workforce strategy to 
     enhance the readiness, capacity, training, recruitment, and 
     retention of the cybersecurity workforce of the Department; 
     and
       (B) maintain and, as necessary, update the comprehensive 
     workforce strategy developed under subparagraph (A).
       (2) Contents.--The comprehensive workforce strategy 
     developed under paragraph (1) shall include a description 
     of--
       (A) a multi-phased recruitment plan, including with respect 
     to experienced professionals, members of disadvantaged or 
     underserved communities, the unemployed, and veterans;
       (B) a 5-year implementation plan;
       (C) a 10-year projection of the cybersecurity workforce 
     needs of the Department;
       (D) any obstacle impeding the hiring and development of a 
     cybersecurity workforce in the Department; and
       (E) any gap in the existing cybersecurity workforce of the 
     Department and a plan to fill any such gap.
       (c) Updates.--The Secretary submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees annual updates on--
       (1) the cybersecurity workforce assessment required under 
     subsection (a); and
       (2) the progress of the Secretary in carrying out the 
     comprehensive workforce strategy required to be developed 
     under subsection (b).

     SEC. 4. CYBERSECURITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

       Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees a report on the feasibility, cost, 
     and benefits of establishing a Cybersecurity Fellowship 
     Program to offer a tuition payment plan for individuals 
     pursuing undergraduate and doctoral degrees who agree to work 
     for the Department for an agreed-upon period of time.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the 
question is, Shall the bill pass?
  The bill (H.R. 2952), as amended, was passed.
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Carper 
title amendment be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The title amendment (No. 4002) was agreed to, as follows:

                     (Purpose: To amend the title)

       Amend the title so as to read: ``To require the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security to assess the cybersecurity workforce of 
     the Department of Homeland Security and develop a 
     comprehensive workforce strategy, and for other purposes.''.

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.

                          ____________________