[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 92 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3532-S3534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2075. Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mr. Cornyn) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1502 proposed by Mr. 
Schumer to the bill S. 1260, to establish a new Directorate for 
Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation, to 
establish a regional technology hub program, to require a strategy and 
report on economic security, science, research, innovation, 
manufacturing, and job creation, to establish a critical supply chain 
resiliency program, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. CYBERSECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY 
                   APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title XXII of the Homeland 
     Security Act (6 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
     the end the following:

     ``SEC. 2218. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.

       ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) Area career and technical education school.--The term 
     `area career and technical education school' 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).
       ``(2) Community college.--The term `community college' 
     means a public institution of higher education at which the 
     highest degree that is predominantly awarded to students is 
     an associate's degree, including--
       ``(A) a 2-year Tribal College or and University, as defined 
     in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1059c); and
       ``(B) a public 2-year State institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(3) Cybersecurity work roles.--The term `cybersecurity 
     work roles' means the work roles outlined in the National 
     Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Cybersecurity 
     Workforce Framework (NIST Special Publication 800-181), or 
     any successor framework.
       ``(4) Education and training provider.--The term `education 
     and training provider' means--
       ``(A) an area career and technical education school;
       ``(B) an early college high school;
       ``(C) an educational service agency;
       ``(D) a high school;
       ``(E) a local educational agency or State educational 
     agency;
       ``(F) a Tribal educational agency, Tribally controlled 
     college or university, or Tribally controlled postsecondary 
     career and technical institution;
       ``(G) a postsecondary educational institution;
       ``(H) a minority-serving institution;
       ``(I) a provider of adult education and literacy activities 
     under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 
     3271 et seq.);
       ``(J) a local agency administering plans under title I of 
     the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.), other 
     than section 112 or part C of that title (29 U.S.C. 732, 
     741);
       ``(K) a related instruction provider, including a qualified 
     intermediary acting as a related instruction provider as 
     approved by a registration agency;
       ``(L) a Job Corps center, as defined in section 142 of the 
     Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3192); or
       ``(M) a consortium of entities described in any of 
     subparagraphs (A) through (L).
       ``(5) Eligible entity.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `eligible entity' means--
       ``(i) a program sponsor;
       ``(ii) a State workforce development board or State 
     workforce agency, or a local workforce development board or 
     local workforce development agency;
       ``(iii) an education and training provider;
       ``(iv) if the applicant is in a State with a State 
     apprenticeship agency, such State apprenticeship agency;
       ``(v) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization;
       ``(vi) an industry or sector partnership, a group of 
     employers, a trade association, or a professional association 
     that sponsors or participates in a program under the national 
     apprenticeship system;
       ``(vii) a Governor of a State;
       ``(viii) a labor organization or joint labor-management 
     organization; or
       ``(ix) a qualified intermediary.
       ``(B) Sponsor requirement.--Not fewer than 1 entity 
     described in subparagraph (A) shall be the sponsor of a 
     program under the national apprenticeship system.
       ``(6) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
     term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 1001).
       ``(7) Local educational agency; secondary school.--The 
     terms `local educational agency' and `secondary school' have 
     the meanings given those terms in section 8101 of the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     7801).
       ``(8) Local workforce development board.--The term `local 
     workforce development board' has the meaning given the term 
     `local board' in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
       ``(9) Nonprofit organization.--The term `nonprofit 
     organization' means an organization that is described in 
     section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
     exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of such Code.
       ``(10) Provider of adult education.--The term `provider of 
     adult education' has the meaning given the term `eligible 
     provider' in section 203 of the Adult Education and Family 
     Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3272).
       ``(11) Related instruction.--The term `related instruction' 
     means an organized and systematic form of instruction 
     designed to provide an individual in an apprenticeship 
     program with the knowledge of the technical subjects related 
     to the intended occupation of the individual after completion 
     of the program.
       ``(12) Sponsor.--The term `sponsor' means any person, 
     association, committee, or organization operating an 
     apprenticeship program and in whose name the program is, or 
     is to be, registered or approved.
       ``(13) State apprenticeship agency.--The term `State 
     apprenticeship agency' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 29.2 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
     corresponding similar regulation or ruling.
       ``(14) State workforce development board.--The term `State 
     workforce development board' has the meaning given the term 
     `State board' in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
       ``(15) WIOA terms.--The terms `career planning', 
     `community-based organization', `economic development 
     agency', `industry or sector partnership', `on-the-job 
     training', `recognized postsecondary credential', and 
     `workplace learning advisor' have the meanings given those 
     terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
     Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
       ``(16) Qualified intermediary.--
       ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified intermediary' means 
     an entity that demonstrates expertise in building, 
     connecting, sustaining, and measuring the performance of 
     partnerships described in subparagraph (B) and serves program 
     participants and employers by--
       ``(i) connecting employers to programs under the national 
     apprenticeship system;
       ``(ii) assisting in the design and implementation of such 
     programs, including curriculum development and delivery for 
     related instruction;
       ``(iii) supporting entities, sponsors, or program 
     administrators in meeting the registration and reporting 
     requirements of this Act;
       ``(iv) providing professional development activities such 
     as training to mentors;
       ``(v) supporting the recruitment, retention, and completion 
     of potential program participants, including nontraditional 
     apprenticeship populations and individuals with barriers to 
     employment;
       ``(vi) developing and providing personalized program 
     participant supports, including by partnering with 
     organizations to provide access to or referrals for 
     supportive services and financial advising;
       ``(vii) providing services, resources, and supports for 
     development, delivery, expansion, or improvement of programs 
     under the national apprenticeship system; or
       ``(viii) serving as a program sponsor.
       ``(B) Partnerships.--The term `partnerships described in 
     subparagraph (B)' means partnerships among entities involved 
     in, or applying to participate in, programs under the 
     national apprenticeship system, including--
       ``(i) industry or sector partnerships;
       ``(ii) partnerships among employers, joint labor-management 
     organizations, labor organizations, community-based 
     organizations, industry associations, State or local 
     workforce development boards, education and training 
     providers, social service organizations, economic development 
     organizations, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, one-
     stop operators, one-stop partners, or veterans service 
     organizations in the State workforce development system; or
       ``(iii) partnerships among 1 or more of the entities 
     described in clauses (i) and (ii).
       ``(b) Establishment of Apprenticeship Programs.--Not later 
     than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the 
     Director may establish 1 or more apprenticeship programs as 
     described in subsection (c).

[[Page S3533]]

       ``(c) Apprenticeship Programs Described.--An apprenticeship 
     program described in this subsection is an apprenticeship 
     program that--
       ``(1) leads directly to employment in--
       ``(A) a cybersecurity work role with the Agency; or
       ``(B) a position with a company or other entity provided 
     that the position is--
       ``(i) certified by the Director as contributing to the 
     national cybersecurity of the United States; and
       ``(ii) funded at least in majority part through a contract, 
     grant, or cooperative agreement with the Agency;
       ``(2) is focused on competencies and related learning 
     necessary, as determined by the Director, to meet the 
     immediate and ongoing needs of cybersecurity work roles at 
     the Agency; and
       ``(3) is registered with and approved by the Office of 
     Apprenticeship of the Department of Labor or a State 
     apprenticeship agency pursuant to the Act of August 16, 1937 
     (commonly known as the `National Apprenticeship Act'; 29 
     U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
       ``(d) Coordination.--In the development of an 
     apprenticeships program under this section, the Director 
     shall consult with the Secretary of Labor, the Director of 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the 
     Secretary of Defense, the Director of the National Science 
     Foundation, and the Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management to leverage existing resources, research, 
     communities of practice, and frameworks for developing 
     cybersecurity apprenticeship programs.
       ``(e) Optional Use of Grants or Cooperative Agreements.--An 
     apprenticeship program under this section may include 
     entering into a contract or cooperative agreement with or 
     making a grant to an eligible entity if determined 
     appropriate by the Director based on the eligible entity--
       ``(1) demonstrating experience in implementing and 
     providing career planning and career pathways toward 
     apprenticeship programs;
       ``(2) having knowledge of cybersecurity workforce 
     development;
       ``(3) being eligible to enter into a contract or 
     cooperative agreement with or receive grant funds from the 
     Agency as described in this section;
       ``(4) providing students who complete the apprenticeship 
     program with a recognized postsecondary credential;
       ``(5) using related instruction that is specifically 
     aligned with the needs of the Agency and utilizes workplace 
     learning advisors and on-the-job training to the greatest 
     extent possible; and
       ``(6) demonstrating successful outcomes connecting 
     graduates of the apprenticeship program to careers relevant 
     to the program.
       ``(f) Applications.--If the Director enters into an 
     arrangement as described in subsection (e), an eligible 
     entity seeking a contract, cooperative agreement, or grant 
     under the program shall submit to the Director an application 
     at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
     as the Director may require.
       ``(g) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities to receive 
     a contract, grant, or cooperative agreement under this 
     section, the Director may prioritize an eligible entity 
     that--
       ``(1) is a member of an industry or sector partnership;
       ``(2) provides related instruction for an apprenticeship 
     program through--
       ``(A) a local educational agency, a secondary school, a 
     provider of adult education, an area career and technical 
     education school, or an institution of higher education; or
       ``(B) an apprenticeship program that was registered with 
     the Department of Labor or a State apprenticeship agency 
     before the date on which the eligible entity applies for the 
     grant under subsection (g);
       ``(3) works with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
     Veterans Affairs, or veterans organizations to transition 
     members of the Armed Forces and veterans to apprenticeship 
     programs in a relevant sector; or
       ``(4) plans to use the grant to carry out the 
     apprenticeship program with an entity that receives State 
     funding or is operated by a State agency.
       ``(h) Technical Assistance.--The Director shall provide 
     technical assistance to eligible entities to leverage the 
     existing job training and education programs of the Agency 
     and other relevant programs at appropriate Federal agencies.
       ``(i) Excepted Service.--Participants in the program may be 
     entered into cybersecurity-specific excepted service 
     positions as determined appropriate by the Director and 
     authorized by section 2208.
       ``(j) Report.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not less than once every 2 years after 
     the establishment of an apprenticeship program under this 
     section, the Director shall submit to Congress a report on 
     the program, including--
       ``(A) a description of--
       ``(i) any activity carried out by the Agency under this 
     section;
       ``(ii) any entity that enters into a contract or agreement 
     with or receives a grant from the Agency under subsection 
     (e);
       ``(iii) any activity carried out using a contract, 
     agreement, or grant under this section as described in 
     subsection (e); and
       ``(iv) best practices used to leverage the investment of 
     the Federal Government under this section; and
       ``(B) an assessment of the results achieved by the program, 
     including the rate of continued employment at the Agency for 
     participants after completing an apprenticeship program 
     carried out under this section.
       ``(k) Performance Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the 
     establishment of an apprenticeship program under this 
     section, and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit 
     to Congress and the Secretary of Labor a report on the 
     effectiveness of the program based on the accountability 
     measures described in clauses (i) and (ii) of section 
     116(b)(2)(A) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
     (29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)).
       ``(l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Agency such sums as necessary to 
     carry out this section.''.
       (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of 
     contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
     (Public Law 107-296; 116 Stat. 2135) is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 2217 the following:

``Sec. 2218. Apprenticeship program.''.

     SEC. __. PILOT PROGRAM ON CYBER TRAINING FOR VETERANS AND 
                   MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES TRANSITIONING TO 
                   CIVILIAN LIFE.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Eligible individual.--The term ``eligible individual'' 
     means an individual who is--
       (A) a member of the Armed Forces transitioning from service 
     in the Armed Forces to civilian life; or
       (B) a veteran.
       (2) Portable credential.--The term ``portable 
     credential''--
       (A) means a documented award by a responsible and 
     authorized entity that has determined that an individual has 
     achieved specific learning outcomes relative to a given 
     standard; and
       (B) includes a degree, diploma, license, certificate, 
     badge, and professional or industry certification that--
       (i) has value locally and nationally in labor markets, 
     educational systems, or other contexts;
       (ii) is defined publicly in such a way that allows 
     educators, employers, and other individuals and entities to 
     understand and verify the full set of skills represented by 
     the credential; and
       (iii) enables a holder of the credential to move vertically 
     and horizontally within and across training and education 
     systems for the attainment of other credentials.
       (3) Veteran.--The term ``veteran'' has the meaning given 
     the term in section 101 of title 31, United States Code.
       (4) 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) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall establish a pilot program under which the Secretary 
     shall provide cyber-specific training for eligible 
     individuals.
       (c) Elements.--The pilot program established under 
     subsection (b) shall incorporate--
       (1) virtual platforms for coursework and training;
       (2) hands-on skills labs and assessments;
       (3) Federal work-based learning opportunities and programs; 
     and
       (4) the provision of portable credentials to eligible 
     individuals who graduate from the pilot program.
       (d) Alignment With NICE Workforce Framework for 
     Cybersecurity.--The pilot program established under 
     subsection (b) shall align with the taxonomy, including work 
     roles and associated tasks, knowledge, and skills, from the 
     National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Workforce 
     Framework for Cybersecurity (NIST Special Publication 800-
     181), or any successor framework.
       (e) Coordination.--
       (1) Training, platforms, and frameworks.--In developing the 
     pilot program under subsection (b), the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall coordinate with the Secretary of Defense, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Labor, and 
     the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to 
     evaluate and, where possible, leverage existing training, 
     platforms, and frameworks of the Federal Government for 
     providing cyber education and training to prevent duplication 
     of efforts.
       (2) Federal work-based learning opportunities and 
     programs.--In developing the Federal work-based learning 
     opportunities and programs required under subsection (c)(3), 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall coordinate with the 
     Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
     Secretary of Labor, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management, and the heads of other appropriate Federal 
     agencies to identify or create interagency opportunities that 
     will enable the pilot program established under subsection 
     (b) to--
       (A) bridge the gap between knowledge acquisition and skills 
     application for participants; and
       (B) give participants the experience necessary to pursue 
     Federal employment.
       (f) Resources.--
       (1) In general.--In any case in which the pilot program 
     established under subsection (b)--
       (A) uses a program of the Department of Veterans Affairs or 
     platforms and frameworks described in subsection (e)(1), the 
     Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such actions as may 
     be necessary to ensure that those programs, platforms, and 
     frameworks are expanded and resourced to accommodate

[[Page S3534]]

     usage by eligible individuals participating in the pilot 
     program; or
       (B) does not use a program of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs or platforms and frameworks described in subsection 
     (e)(1), the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall take such 
     actions as may be necessary to develop or procure programs, 
     platforms, and frameworks necessary to carry out the 
     requirements of subsection (c) and accommodate the usage by 
     eligible individuals participating in the pilot program.
       (2) Actions.--Actions described in paragraph (1) may 
     include providing additional funding, staff, or other 
     resources to--
       (A) provide administrative support for basic functions of 
     the pilot program;
       (B) ensure the success and ongoing engagement of eligible 
     individuals participating in the pilot program;
       (C) connect graduates of the pilot program to job 
     opportunities within the Federal Government; and
       (D) allocate dedicated positions for term employment to 
     enable Federal work-based learning opportunities and programs 
     for participants to gain the experience necessary to pursue 
     permanent Federal employment.
                                 ______