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.
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;
(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
(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.
(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
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;