I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7530 

To direct the Attorney General to make grants to assist local educational 

agencies in developing and implementing plans to address cybersecurity 

threats or vulnerabilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 9, 2020 

Mr. HARDER of California introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To direct the Attorney General to make grants to assist 

local educational agencies in developing and implementing plans to address cybersecurity threats or 

vulnerabilities, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Students 

5 from Cybercrimes Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 7530 IH

1 (1) Educational institutions across the country 

2 are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber at3 tacks with the switch to online instruction during 

4 the COVID–19 pandemic. 

5 (2) Cyber attacks put sensitive and confidential 

6 information at risk of disclosure. 

7 (3) Increased cyber attacks place sensitive stu8 dent information, such as student academic achieve9 ment records, grades, medical records, and other 

10 personal identifiable information at risk. 

11 (4) School districts are not sufficiently equipped 

12 to prevent damaging cyber attacks. Increased fund13 ing and guidance from the Federal Government are 

14 needed to adequately prepare for and defend against 

15 potential cyber attacks. 

16 (5) Increased Federal funding and guidance will 

17 give school districts the ability to reduce their risk 

18 and exposure to cyber attacks. 

19 (6) Increased Federal funding to school dis20 tricts will enable school district residents to pursue 

21 formal education, training, and industry recognized 

22 certifications for careers in cybersecurity, which will 

23 aid in the prevention and mitigation of the effects of 

24 future attacks. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 7530 IH

1 (7) Increased Federal funding and guidance will 

2 allow school districts, campuses, and institutions of 

3 higher education to share information and analysis 

4 to prevent future cyber attacks. 

5 SEC. 3. SCHOOL CYBERCRIME PROTECTION GRANT PRO6 GRAM. 

7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Attorney General, acting 

8 through the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investiga9 tion (referred to in this section as the ‘‘FBI Director’’), 

10 is authorized to make grants to any local educational 

11 agency (as such term is defined in section 8101 of the 

12 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 

13 U.S.C. 7801)) or group of local educational agencies to 

14 assist in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and 

15 responding to cybercrimes. 

16 (b) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 

17 (1) LIMITATIONS.—Any grant awarded under 

18 this section shall supplement and not supplant local 

19 educational agency or local funds, as applicable, and 

20 may not be used— 

21 (A) to provide any Federal cost-sharing 

22 contribution on behalf of a local educational 

23 agency; or 

24 (B) for any recreational or social purpose. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 7530 IH

1 (2) APPROVED ACTIVITIES FOR GRANTS.—A 

2 local educational agency that receives funds through 

3 this grant program shall use such funds for one or 

4 more of the following activities: 

5 (A) Supporting or enhancing information 

6 sharing and analysis organizations. 

7 (B) Implementing or coordinating systems 

8 and services that use cyber threat indicators (as 

9 such term is defined in section 102 of the Cy10 bersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (6 

11 U.S.C. 1501)) to address cybersecurity threats 

12 or vulnerabilities. 

13 (C) Preventing, preparing for, protecting 

14 against, and responding to cybercrimes, includ15 ing coordinating with— 

16 (i) emergency management elements 

17 of the State in which the local educational 

18 agency is located, municipality, and local 

19 educational agency; 

20 (ii) Federal Bureau of Investigation 

21 or Department of Homeland Security 

22 units, as appropriate; 

23 (iii) entities associated with critical in24 frastructure or key resources; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 7530 IH

1 (iv) information sharing and analysis 

2 organizations; 

3 (v) public safety answering points; or 

4 (vi) nongovernmental organizations 

5 engaged in cybersecurity research as an in6 formation analysis and sharing organiza7 tion designated by the Federal Bureau of 

8 Investigation or the Department of Home9 land Security. 

10 (D) Establishing programs, such as schol11 arships or apprenticeships, to provide financial 

12 assistance to students served by the local edu13 cational agency who— 

14 (i) pursue formal education, training, 

15 and industry-recognized certifications for 

16 careers in cybersecurity as identified by the 

17 National Initiative for Cybersecurity Edu18 cation; and 

19 (ii) commit to working for a local edu20 cational agency for not less than 2 years. 

21 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

22 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

23 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS