I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 53 
To codify an office within the Department of Homeland Security with the 
mission of strengthening the capacity of the agency to attract and retain 
highly trained computer and information security professionals, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2015 
Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Com-
mittees on Science, Space, and Technology and Homeland Security, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To codify an office within the Department of Homeland 
Security with the mission of strengthening the capacity 
of the agency to attract and retain highly trained com-
puter and information security professionals, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Cyber Security Education and Federal Workforce En-
hancement Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
TITLE I—DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY K–12 
EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
Sec. 101. Office of Cybersecurity Education and Awareness. 
Sec. 102. Science and technology initiative grants. 
Sec. 103. Project-based learning program. 
Sec. 104. Matching funds for State and privately financed science and tech-
nology after-school programs. 
Sec. 105. Science and Technology Board of Advisors. 
Sec. 106. Laboratories for science and technology excellence. 
TITLE II—POST-SECONDARY COMPUTER AND INFORMATION 
SECURITY EDUCATION 
Sec. 201. Computing and Information Research Working Group. 
Sec. 202. Process for adoption research and a best practices voluntary guide-
lines for laboratory facilities. 
Sec. 203. Computing and information security mentoring programs for college 
students. 
Sec. 204. Grants for computer equipment. 
Sec. 205. Centers of Academic Computing and Information Assurance. 
TITLE III—FEDERAL WORKFORCE COMPUTER AND INFORMATION 
SECURITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
Sec. 301. Lifelong learning in computer and information security study. 
Sec. 302. Computer and information security job opportunities program. 
Sec. 303. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity training programs 
and equipment. 
Sec. 304. E-Security Fellows Program. 
TITLE IV—RESEARCH 
Sec. 401. National Science Foundation study on science and technology student 
retention. 
Sec. 402. Challenge Grants. 
Sec. 403. E-Security Fellows Program. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
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(1) The Department of Homeland Security’s 
Cybersecurity Education & Awareness (CE&A) 
Branch was established under National Security 
Presidential Directive–54/Homeland Security Presi-
dential Directive–23, which launched the 2008 Com-
prehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. There 
is no appropriations language that references CE&A; 
it is funded through the Infrastructure Protection 
and Information Security appropriation under the 
National Protection and Programs Directorate. 
(2) The Department of Homeland Security’s 
CE&A works with universities to attract top talent 
through competitive scholarship, fellowship, and in-
ternship programs. 
(3) The agency certifies of more than 125 insti-
tutions nationwide as National Centers for Academic 
Excellence to teach students valuable technical skills 
in various disciplines of Information Assurance. 
(4) The CE&A prepares and makes available 
computer and information security lesson plans. At 
the K–12 level, the Department has partnered with 
USA Today to provide lesson plans about the impor-
tance of prevention of computer and digital informa-
tion crimes at home and in the classroom. 
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(5) The agency initiated the IT Security Essen-
tial Body of Knowledge (EBK). The National Cyber-
security Division developed the EBK to establish a 
national baseline of the essential knowledge and 
skills that IT security practitioners in the public and 
private sector should have to perform specific roles 
and responsibilities. 
(6) The challenge for computer and information 
security coordination and development is no single 
agreed upon voluntary taxonomy nor definitions to 
rely upon when categorizing or classifying computer 
or information security jobs. 
(7) The fields of computer and information se-
curity study is within the field of information assur-
ance. 
(8) The information assurance, cybersecurity 
and computer security workforce encompasses a va-
riety of context, roles, and occupations and is too 
broad and diverse to be treated as a single occupa-
tion or profession. 
(9) Science, technology, engineering, and math-
ematics occupations, which include computer and in-
formation security experts and professionals, are ex-
pected to grow by 17 percent by the year 2018 com-
pared to 9.8 percent for other jobs. 
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(10) The Federal Government is experiencing a 
shortage of qualified professionals with expertise in 
computer and information security. 
(11) Insufficiently trained, educated, or super-
vised Federal computer workers can reduce the Na-
tion’s ability to secure computer networks from 
cyber attacks or incidents. 
(12) The computing and information security 
workforce encompasses a variety of context, roles, 
and occupations and is too broad an diverse to be 
treated as a single occupation or profession. 
(13) Computing and information security is not 
solely a technical endeavor, and thus encompasses a 
wide range of backgrounds and skills that will be 
needed in an effective national computing and infor-
mation security workforce. 
(14) The route toward professionalization of a 
field of study can be slow and difficult, and not all 
portions of a field can or should be professionalized 
at the same time. 
(15) It is essential, just as it is for other dis-
ciplines like medicine and the law, that academics, 
employers, and government share a common lan-
guage to identify, train, educate, and employ com-
puter and information security professionals. 
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(16) The secure management of digital sensitive 
information collected maintained or transmitted by 
Federal Government agencies, including taxpayer 
data, Social Security records, medical records, intel-
lectual property, proprietary business information, 
and sensitive Government data vital to national se-
curity and national defense requires an educated and 
well-trained, as well as supervised, Federal work-
force. 
(17) It is in the Nation’s interest to promote 
opportunities for science and technology education 
and employment as a means of addressing the need 
to fill computer and information security jobs within 
the Federal Government. 
(18) The Department of Homeland Security’s 
role is to lead, champion, and sustain the develop-
ment of a national information assurance, cybersecu-
rity and computer security workforce, as well as to 
educate the citizenry. 
(19) Developing, implementing, and articulating 
programs that protect against and respond to com-
puter and information security threats and hazards 
to the Homeland’s security. 
(20) The Department of Homeland Security 
must create an agile, diverse workforce and digital 
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citizenry that are capable of sustaining a safe, se-
cure, resilient computer and information security 
space, driven by a dynamic Department organization 
at the forefront of cross-sector computer and infor-
mation security workforce development. 
TITLE 
I—DEPARTMENT 
OF 
HOMELAND 
SECURITY 
K–12 
EXCELLENCE 
IN 
SCIENCE 
AND TECHNOLOGY 
SEC. 101. OFFICE OF CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION AND 
AWARENESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle C of title II of the Home-
land Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 141 et seq.) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 226. OFFICE OF CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION AND 
AWARENESS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be within the 
Department an Office of Cybersecurity Education and 
Awareness Branch (hereinafter in this section referred to 
as the ‘Office’). 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Office shall be respon-
sible for carrying out the duties of the Office as directed 
by the Secretary. The Office shall also report to the Sec-
retary the ongoing work of the Office. Further, the Office 
shall report on the statutory authority, Executive orders 
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or agency directives that guide the work of the Office. The 
Office shall report to the Secretary what additional au-
thority is needed to fulfill the mission for the Office as 
outlined by the section. The Office shall also conduct re-
search and make recommendations to the Secretary to the 
extent that the agency can effectively engage in the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) Recruiting, retaining, and sustaining the 
skills and knowledge of Information assurance, cy-
bersecurity and computer security professionals in 
the Department of Homeland Security, hereinafter 
known as the ‘Department’. 
‘‘(2) Supporting kindergarten through grade 12 
science and technology and computer and informa-
tion safety education through grants, and training 
programs. 
‘‘(3) Supporting postsecondary information as-
surance, cybersecurity and computer security pro-
grams that provide education that benefits the mis-
sion and objective of the Department regarding re-
cruitment and retention of highly trained computing 
professionals who are work ready. 
‘‘(4) Promoting public knowledge of computer 
and information security competitions to provide 
computer and information security competition ad-
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ministrators, participants, and sponsors with infor-
mation necessary to further broader public participa-
tion in these activities. 
‘‘(5) Developing a guest lecturer program or 
part-time lecturer program comprised of information 
assurance, cybersecurity and computer security ex-
perts in the Federal Government, academia and pri-
vate sector to support education of students at insti-
tutions of higher education who are pursuing de-
grees in computing science. 
‘‘(6) Managing a Computer and Information 
Security Youth Training Pathway Program for sec-
ondary school and postsecondary school students to 
work in part-time or summer positions along with 
Federal agency computer and information security 
professionals. 
‘‘(7) Developing programs that increase the ca-
pacity of institutions defined in section 371 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965— 
‘‘(A) Historically Black Colleges and Uni-
versities; 
‘‘(B) Professional and academic areas in 
which African-Americans are under represented; 
‘‘(C) Hispanic-serving institutions; 
‘‘(D) Native American colleges; and 
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‘‘(E) Rural Colleges and Universities. 
‘‘(8) Conduct research and make recommenda-
tions to the Secretary on what the agency can do to 
increase participation of professional and academic 
under represented areas at minority institutions. 
‘‘(9) Providing support to the institutions of 
higher education described in subparagraphs (A) 
through (E) of paragraph (7) to provide course work 
and education in computer and information security 
designed to raise the number and diversity of stu-
dents in the field. The Office may use the institu-
tions defined under section 371 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q) minority-serv-
ing institutions are defined as follows: 
‘‘(A) A part B institution (as defined in 
section 322 (20 U.S.C. 1061)). 
‘‘(B) A Hispanic-serving institution (as de-
fined in section 502 (20 U.S.C. 1101a)). 
‘‘(C) A Tribal College or University (as de-
fined in section 316 (20 U.S.C. 1059)). 
‘‘(D) An Alaska Native-serving institution 
or a Native Hawaiian-serving institution (as de-
fined in section 317(b) (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b))). 
‘‘(E) A Predominantly Black Institution 
(as defined in subsection (c)). 
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‘‘(F) An Asian-American and Native 
American Pacific Islander-serving institution 
(as defined in subsection (c)). 
‘‘(G) A Native American-serving nontribal 
institution (as defined in subsection (c)). 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘information assurance, cyberse-
curity and computer security program’ has the 
meaning given by the Secretary in consultation with 
the computing and information Security Post Sec-
ondary Education Working Group under the bill. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘K–12’ may be defined by the 
Secretary in consultation with the K–12 Science and 
Technology Education Board of Advisors under sec-
tion 105 of the Cyber Security Education and Fed-
eral Workforce Enhancement Act. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary may define higher education 
institutions under this title using definitions found 
in section 371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘professional and academic 
under represented areas’ means areas in which Afri-
can-Americans, Hispanics, and women are under 
represented has the meaning given such term by the 
Secretary, who may consult with the Commissioner 
for Education Statistics and the Commissioner of 
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the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The basis of the de-
termining the means should be based on most recent 
available satisfactory data, as computing and infor-
mation security professional and academic areas in 
which the percentage of African-Americans, His-
panics, and females who have been educated, 
trained, and employed is less than the percentage of 
African-Americans, Hispanics, and women in the 
general population.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 225 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 226. Office of Cybersecurity Education and Awareness.’’. 
SEC. 102. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall consider existing authority to make grants to 
secondary schools under this section, which shall be known 
as ‘‘Science and Technology Educators Initiative Grants’’. 
(b) SELECTION OF SCHOOLS.—If the Secretary de-
termines that they have the authority they may select sec-
ondary schools to receive grants under this section, the 
Secretary may consider the following factors: 
(1) Whether more than 40 percent of the stu-
dents at the secondary school are eligible for free or 
reduced price school meal programs under the Rich-
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ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the 
Child Nutrition Act of 1966. 
(2) The location of the secondary school is in 
a rural area. 
(3) The participation of representation of pro-
fessions and academic area among students which 
will also include home schooled, individuals residing 
in rural areas, and individuals attending underper-
forming secondary schools. 
(4) The location of the school in an area where 
the unemployment rate was not more than one per-
cent higher than the national average unemployment 
rate during the 24-month period preceding the de-
termination of eligibility under this subsection. 
(5) The location of the secondary school in an 
area where the per capita income is of 80 percent 
or less of the national per capita income. 
SEC. 103. PROJECT-BASED LEARNING PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall direct the 
Office to conduct research to investigate and make rec-
ommendations regarding the feasibility and existing au-
thority to establish a national project-based science and 
technology learning program, to be known as the ‘‘K–12 
Science and Technology Learning Program’’ and make a 
report to both House and Senate Oversight Committees. 
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Under such research program, the Secretary shall deter-
mine existing authority to— 
(1) create State and regional workshops to 
train teachers in science and technology project- 
based learning; 
(2) establish between institutions of higher edu-
cation, businesses, and local public and private edu-
cational agencies that serve students comprised of 
40 percent of more of professional and academics 
under represented areas to provide materials and 
teaching aids to teachers who successfully complete 
the science and technology project-based learning 
program under this section; 
(3) identify no cost or low cost summer and 
after school science and technology education pro-
grams and broadly disseminate that information to 
the public; and 
(4) make grants to local educational agencies to 
support the participation of teachers of elementary 
school and secondary school in science and tech-
nology training programs by providing travel and en-
rollment expenses, with a priority given to teachers 
who work in schools serving neglected, delinquent, 
migrant students, English learners, at-risk students, 
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and Native Americans, as determined by the Sec-
retary. 
(b) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall have the au-
thority under this statute to conduct a limited pilot project 
to test recommendations on possible programs that would 
be low-cost but have the greatest impact on instilling the 
importance of technology and science education. 
(c) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary shall 
submit to Congress an annual report on the program es-
tablished under this section. 
(d) PROJECT-BASED SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY 
LEARNING DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘project- 
based science and technology learning’’ means a system-
atic teaching method that engages students in learning es-
sential science, technology, engineering and mathematics 
through knowledge and life-enhancing skills through an 
extended, student-influenced inquiry process structured 
around complex, authentic questions and carefully de-
signed products and tasks developed specifically for edu-
cation. 
SEC. 104. MATCHING FUNDS FOR STATE AND PRIVATELY 
FINANCED 
SCIENCE 
AND 
TECHNOLOGY 
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity shall provide matching funds to local educational 
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