[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 148 (Monday, September 23, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5596-H5597]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           DHS CYBERSECURITY ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM ACT

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 3208) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
establish a DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3208

       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 ``DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job 
     Training Program Act''.

     SEC. 2. DHS CYBERSECURITY ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle A of title XXII of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 141 et seq.) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 2220F. DHS CYBERSECURITY ON-THE-JOB TRAINING PROGRAM.

       ``(a) In General.--There is established within the Agency a 
     `DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program' (in this 
     section referred to as the `Program') to voluntarily train 
     Department employees who are not currently in a cybersecurity 
     position for work in matters relating to cybersecurity at the 
     Department. The Program shall be led by the Director, in 
     consultation with the Under Secretary for Management.
       ``(b) Duties of the Director.--In carrying out the Program 
     under subsection (a), the Director--
       ``(1) shall develop a curriculum for the Program, 
     incorporating any existing curricula as appropriate, and 
     consistent with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity 
     Education Framework or any successor framework, which may 
     include distance learning instruction, in-classroom 
     instruction within a work location, on-the-job instruction 
     under the supervision of experienced cybersecurity staff, or 
     other means of training and education as determined 
     appropriate by the Director;
       ``(2) shall develop criteria for participation in the 
     Program;
       ``(3) in accordance with paragraph (1), shall provide 
     cybersecurity training to employees of the Department and 
     may, as appropriate, provide cybersecurity training to other 
     Federal employees; and
       ``(4) shall annually for seven years submit to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report that includes--
       ``(A) information relating to the number of employees who 
     participated in the Program in the preceding year;
       ``(B) an identification of the positions into which 
     employees trained through the Program were hired after such 
     training;
       ``(C) a description of metrics used to measure the success 
     of the Program;
       ``(D) copies of the reports submitted pursuant to (c)(1); 
     and
       ``(E) any additional information relating to the duties 
     specified in this subsection.
       ``(c) Duties of the Under Secretary for Management.--In 
     carrying out the Program under subsection (a), the Under 
     Secretary for Management shall--
       ``(1) submit to the Secretary an annual report on the 
     status of vacancies in cybersecurity positions throughout the 
     Department;
       ``(2) support efforts by the Director to identify and 
     recruit individuals employed by the Department to participate 
     in the Program;
       ``(3) implement policies, including continuing service 
     agreements, to encourage participation in the Program by 
     employees throughout the Department; and
       ``(4) conduct outreach to employees who complete the 
     Program regarding cybersecurity job opportunities within the 
     Department.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to section 2220E the 
     following new item:

``Sec. 2220F. DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 3208.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3208. The DHS Cybersecurity 
On-the-Job Training Program Act will strengthen CISA's role in 
providing cybersecurity training to DHS employees not formerly in 
cybersecurity positions.
  This legislation is reflective of the consistent efforts of its 
sponsor, Ms. Jackson Lee, who we all lost just months ago, to improve 
DHS. This, I believe, is her last bill. She was a true friend to the 
committee and to this Chamber, and I know we will all miss her 
presence.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  During Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's two decades in Congress 
serving on the Homeland Security Committee, one of her top priorities 
was strengthening our Nation's cyber defenses.
  She consistently prioritized expanding our cybersecurity workforce, 
recognized that investing in cybersecurity education and training would 
make our Nation more secure.
  At a time when few Members of Congress were focused on cybersecurity 
back in 2005, Congresswoman Jackson Lee introduced the Cybersecurity 
Education Enhancement Act to provide funding for expanded cybersecurity 
education programs across the country.
  With her trademark persistence, Congresswoman Jackson Lee kept on 
fighting to expand the talent pool of trained cybersecurity 
professionals, most recently with the introduction last year of this 
legislation that we are considering today, the DHS Cybersecurity On-
the-Job Training Program Act.
  This bill will direct the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency, or CISA, to provide cybersecurity

[[Page H5597]]

training to Department of Homeland Security existing employees with the 
goal of training existing personnel to fill cybersecurity job vacancies 
at the Department.
  According to testimony before the Homeland Security Committee in 
June, there are nearly 2,000 cybersecurity vacancies at DHS today.
  With cybersecurity threats from adversaries like Russia and China 
only further increasing, filling these vacancies is a national security 
imperative.
  While DHS has taken important steps to address this challenge, 
private-sector competition for talent and the slow Federal hiring 
process have continued to hamper our efforts at DHS to eliminate this 
shortfall.
  Training existing DHS personnel who have already been vetted and 
onboarded by the Department is a critical part of ensuring that DHS has 
the cybersecurity talent on payroll today to fulfill its critical 
cybersecurity mission.
  This legislation builds on CISA's existing Federal Cyber Defense 
Skilling Academy and ensures that CISA continues its efforts to 
leverage cybersecurity expertise to support DHS' broader workforce.
  I urge my colleagues to continue Congresswoman Jackson Lee's legacy 
on this most important issue and support H.R. 3208.
  Across DHS' many component agencies, there is a critical need for 
cybersecurity expertise to help defend our homeland.
  So long as key cybersecurity positions sit vacant, we are at greater 
risk for damaging cyberattacks that expose our sensitive information or 
disrupt critical infrastructure.
  Passing Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's legislation will ensure 
DHS employees get the training necessary to fill cybersecurity job 
vacancies, and also, we will be honoring her legacy of fighting for a 
stronger cybersecurity workforce.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3208, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3208, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3208.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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