IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5433 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of State to design and establish 
a Vulnerability Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve De-
partment of State cybersecurity and a bug bounty pro-
gram to identify and report vulnerabilities of internet- 
facing information technology of the Department of 
State, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hack Your State De-
partment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) BUG BOUNTY PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘bug 
bounty program’’ means a program under which an 
approved individual, organization, or company is 
temporarily authorized to identify and report 
vulnerabilities of internet-facing information tech-
nology of the Department in exchange for compensa-
tion. 
(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of State. 
(3) INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘‘information technology’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 11101 of title 40, United 
States Code. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of State. 
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SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF STATE VULNERABILITY DISCLO-
SURE PROCESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall de-
sign, establish, and make publicly known a Vulnerability 
Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve Department cyber-
security by— 
(1) providing security researchers with clear 
guidelines for— 
(A) conducting vulnerability discovery ac-
tivities directed at Department information 
technology; and 
(B) 
submitting 
discovered 
security 
vulnerabilities to the Department; and 
(2) creating Department procedures and infra-
structure 
to 
receive 
and 
fix 
discovered 
vulnerabilities. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—In establishing the VDP pur-
suant to paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(1) identify which Department information 
technology should be included in the process; 
(2) determine whether the process should dif-
ferentiate among and specify the types of security 
vulnerabilities that may be targeted; 
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(3) provide a readily available means of report-
ing discovered security vulnerabilities and the form 
in which such vulnerabilities should be reported; 
(4) identify which Department offices and posi-
tions will be responsible for receiving, prioritizing, 
and addressing security vulnerability disclosure re-
ports; 
(5) consult with the Attorney General regarding 
how to ensure that approved individuals, organiza-
tions, and companies that comply with the require-
ments of the process are protected from prosecution 
under section 1030 of title 18, United States Code, 
and similar provisions of law for specific activities 
authorized under the process; 
(6) consult with the relevant offices at the De-
partment of Defense that were responsible for 
launching the 2016 Vulnerability Disclosure Pro-
gram, ‘‘Hack the Pentagon’’, and subsequent De-
partment of Defense bug bounty programs; 
(7) engage qualified interested persons, includ-
ing nongovernmental sector representatives, about 
the structure of the process as constructive and to 
the extent practicable; and 
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(8) award a contract to an entity, as necessary, 
to manage the process and implement the remedi-
ation of discovered security vulnerabilities. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the establishment of the VDP under subsection (a) 
and annually thereafter for the next six years, the Sec-
retary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the 
following with respect to the VDP: 
(1) The number and severity, in accordance 
with the National Vulnerabilities Database of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, of 
security vulnerabilities reported. 
(2) The number of previously unidentified secu-
rity vulnerabilities remediated as a result. 
(3) The current number of outstanding pre-
viously unidentified security vulnerabilities and De-
partment of State remediation plans. 
(4) The average length of time between the re-
porting of security vulnerabilities and remediation of 
such vulnerabilities. 
(5) An estimate of the total cost savings of dis-
covering and addressing security vulnerabilities sub-
mitted through the VDP. 
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(6) The resources, surge staffing, roles, and re-
sponsibilities within the Department used to imple-
ment the VDP and complete security vulnerability 
remediation. 
(7) Any other information the Secretary deter-
mines relevant. 
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUG BOUNTY PILOT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall establish a bug bounty pilot program to 
minimize security vulnerabilities of internet-facing 
information technology of the Department. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In establishing the pilot 
program described in paragraph (1), the Secretary 
shall— 
(A) provide compensation for reports of 
previously unidentified security vulnerabilities 
within the websites, applications, and other 
internet-facing information technology of the 
Department that are accessible to the public; 
(B) award a contract to an entity, as nec-
essary, to manage such pilot program and for 
executing 
the 
remediation 
of 
security 
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vulnerabilities identified pursuant to subpara-
graph (A); 
(C) identify which Department information 
technology should be included in such pilot pro-
gram; 
(D) consult with the Attorney General on 
how to ensure that approved individuals, orga-
nizations, or companies that comply with the 
requirements of such pilot program are pro-
tected from prosecution under section 1030 of 
title 18, United States Code, and similar provi-
sions of law for specific activities authorized 
under such pilot program; 
(E) consult with the relevant offices at the 
Department of Defense that were responsible 
for launching the 2016 ‘‘Hack the Pentagon’’ 
pilot program and subsequent Department of 
Defense bug bounty programs; 
(F) develop a process by which an ap-
proved individual, organization, or company can 
register with the entity referred to in subpara-
graph (B), submit to a background check as de-
termined by the Department, and receive a de-
termination as to eligibility for participation in 
such pilot program; 
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(G) engage qualified interested persons, in-
cluding nongovernmental sector representatives, 
about the structure of such pilot program as 
constructive and to the extent practicable; and 
(H) consult with relevant United States 
Government officials to ensure that such pilot 
program compliments persistent network and 
vulnerability scans of the Department of State’s 
internet-accessible systems, such as the scans 
conducted pursuant to Binding Operational Di-
rective BOD-15-01. 
(3) DURATION.—The pilot program established 
under paragraph (1) should be short-term in dura-
tion and not last longer than one year. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
on which the bug bounty pilot program under subsection 
(a) is completed, the Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
a report on such pilot program, including information re-
lating to— 
(1) the number of approved individuals, organi-
zations, or companies involved in such pilot pro-
gram, broken down by the number of approved indi-
viduals, organizations, or companies that— 
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(A) registered; 
(B) were approved; 
(C) submitted security vulnerabilities; and 
(D) received compensation; 
(2) the number and severity, in accordance with 
the National Vulnerabilities Database of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology, of se-
curity vulnerabilities reported as part of such pilot 
program; 
(3) the number of previously unidentified secu-
rity vulnerabilities remediated as a result of such 
pilot program; 
(4) the current number of outstanding pre-
viously unidentified security vulnerabilities and De-
partment remediation plans; 
(5) the average length of time between the re-
porting of security vulnerabilities and remediation of 
such vulnerabilities; 
(6) the types of compensation provided under 
such pilot program; and 
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(7) the lessons learned from such pilot pro-
gram. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 
2018. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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