[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3545-S3546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6420. Mr. PETERS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:
SEC. 10__. WORKFORCE FRAMEWORKS FOR CRITICAL AND EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) Definitions.--
(1) In general.--In this section, the terms
``competencies'', ``workforce categories'', and ``workforce
framework'' have the meanings given such terms in subsection
(f) of section 2 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272), as added by subsection (b) of
this section.
(2) Amendment to nist act.--Section 2 of such Act (15
U.S.C. 272) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Competencies.--The term `competencies' means
knowledge and skills.
``(2) Workforce categories.--The term `workforce
categories' means a high-level grouping of tasks across an
organization as defined by work roles within the category.
``(3) Workforce framework.--The term `workforce framework'
means a common taxonomy and lexicon for any given domain that
includes the building blocks of tasks, knowledge, or skills
that can be structured to form work roles or competency
areas.''.
(b) Expansion of Functions of Director of National
Institute of Standards and Technology To Include Workforce
Frameworks for Critical and Emerging Technologies.--Section
2(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``; and'' and inserting
a semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(14)(A) to develop, maintain, and provide industry,
government, research, nonprofit, labor organizations, and
educational institutions with workforce frameworks for
critical and emerging technologies and other science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics domains for the
purpose of bolstering scientific and technical education,
training, and workforce development;
``(B) at least once every 3 years--
``(i) to determine if an update to any workforce framework,
or its components or associated materials, including work
roles or competency areas, provided pursuant to subparagraph
(A) are appropriate; and
``(ii) if the Director determines it is appropriate under
clause (i), to update such frameworks and components;
``(C) consider including in all workforce frameworks, or
associated materials--
``(i) relevant professional skills or employability skills;
``(ii) relevant support or operations work roles and
competency areas such as administration and finance, law and
policy, ethics, privacy, human resources, information
technology, operational technology, supply chain security,
and acquisition and procurement;
``(iii) information that promotes the discovery of careers
in critical and emerging technologies and the multiple career
pathways for learners from a variety of backgrounds,
including individuals with nontechnical or other
nontraditional backgrounds and education; and
``(iv) information for how individuals can acquire relevant
credentials (e.g., academic degrees, certificates,
certifications, etc.) that qualify individuals for employment
and career advancement;
``(D) consult, as the Director considers appropriate, with
Federal agencies, industry, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial government, nonprofit, labor organizations,
research, and academic institutions in the development of
workforce frameworks, or associated materials;
``(E) to produce resources in multiple languages to support
global adoption of the frameworks provided pursuant to
subparagraph (A); and
``(F) after each determination under subparagraph (B), to
submit to Congress a report on such determination and any
plans to review and update any workforce frameworks under
this paragraph.''.
(c) NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity Update.--
(1) Report on updates.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and subsequently pursuant to
paragraph (14)(F) of section (2)(b) of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)), as added
by subsection (b) of this section, the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology shall submit
to Congress a report that describes the process for ongoing
review and updates to the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity
(NIST Special Publication 800-181), or a successor framework.
(B) Requirements.--Each report submitted pursuant to
subparagraph (A) shall--
(i) summarize proposed changes to the framework;
(ii) identify, with regard to the work roles, tasks,
knowledge, and skills included in the framework, how
industry, academia, labor organizations, and relevant
government agencies are consulted in the update; and
(iii) describe--
(I) the ongoing process and timeline for updating the
framework; and
(II) the incorporation of any additional work roles or
competency areas in domains such as administration and
finance, law and policy, ethics, privacy, human resources,
information technology, operational technology, supply chain
security, and acquisition and procurement.
(2) Report on application and use of nice framework.--Not
later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this
Act and not less frequently than once every 3 years
thereafter for 9 years, the Director shall, in consultation
with industry, government, nonprofit, labor organizations,
research, and academic institutions, submit to Congress a
report that identifies--
(A) applications and uses of the framework described in
paragraph (1)(A) in practice;
(B) any guidance that the program office of the National
Initiative for Cybersecurity Education provides to increase
adoption by employers and education and training providers of
the work roles and competency areas for individuals who
perform cybersecurity work at all proficiency levels;
(C) available information regarding employer and education
and training provider use of the framework;
(D) an assessment of the use and effectiveness of the
framework by and for individuals with nontraditional
backgrounds or education, especially individuals making a
career change or not pursuing a bachelor's degree or higher;
and
(E) any additional actions taken by the Director to
increase the use of the framework.
(3) Cybersecurity career exploration resources.--The
Director, acting through the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education, shall disseminate cybersecurity
career resources for all age groups, including kindergarten
through secondary and postsecondary education and adult
workers.
(d) Additional Workforce Frameworks.--
(1) Framework assessment.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall
assess the need for additional workforce frameworks for
critical and emerging technologies, such as quantum
information science.
(2) Development of additional frameworks.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall develop and publish a
workforce framework for each additional workforce framework
that the Director determines is needed pursuant to an
assessment carried out pursuant to paragraph (1).
(B) Required ai framework.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1)
and subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, not less than 540
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Director shall develop and publish a workforce framework,
workforce categories, work roles, and competency areas for
artificial intelligence.
(3) Model.--In developing a workforce framework under
paragraph (2), the Director may use the Playbook for
Workforce Frameworks developed by the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education that is modeled after the National
Initiative for Cybersecurity Education Workforce Framework
for Cybersecurity (NIST Special Publication 800-181), or a
successor framework.
(4) Framework components.--Each framework developed
pursuant to paragraph (2) shall include relevant support or
operations work roles and competency areas such as
administration and finance, law and policy, ethics, privacy,
human resources, information technology, operational
technology, supply chain security, and acquisition and
procurement, as the Director considers appropriate, in
alignment with paragraph (14)(C) of section 2(b) of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
272(b)), as added by subsection (b).
(5) Professional skills required.--Each framework developed
pursuant to paragraph
[[Page S3546]]
(2) shall include professional skills or employability
skills, as the Director considers appropriate, in alignment
with paragraph (14)(C) of section 2(b) of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)),
as added by subsection (b).
(6) Nontraditional backgrounds.--Each framework developed
under paragraph (2), or materials associated with each
framework, shall include information for how individuals with
nontechnical or other nontraditional backgrounds and
education may utilize their skills for such frameworks' roles
and tasks, in alignment with paragraph (14)(D) of section
2(b) of the such Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(14)(D)), as so added.
(7) Updates.--The Director shall update each framework
developed under paragraph (2) in accordance with subparagraph
(B) of paragraph (14) of section 2(b) of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)),
as added by subsection (b) of this section, and submit to
Congress reports in accordance with subparagraph (F) of such
paragraph.
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