I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2894 
To establish a Civilian Cyber Security Reserve as a pilot project to address 
the cyber security needs of the United States with respect to national 
security, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2021 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself and Mr. CALVERT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition 
to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a Civilian Cyber Security Reserve as a pilot 
project to address the cyber security needs of the United 
States with respect to national security, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Civilian Cyber Security 
Reserve Act’’. 
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SEC. 
2. 
CIVILIAN 
CYBER 
SECURITY 
RESERVE 
PILOT 
PROJECT. 
(a) PILOT PROJECT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Each appropriate agency 
head may carry out a pilot project to establish a Ci-
vilian Cyber Security Reserve at the covered agency 
to address the cyber security needs of the United 
States with respect to national security. 
(2) APPOINTMENTS.—Under a pilot project au-
thorized under paragraph (1), the appropriate agen-
cy head may noncompetitively appoint members of 
the Civilian Cyber Security Reserve to temporary po-
sitions in the competitive or excepted service. 
(3) STATUS AS EMPLOYEES.—An individual ap-
pointed under paragraph (2) shall be considered a 
Federal civil service employee under section 2105 of 
title 5, United States Code. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATION AND SELECTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Under a pilot project au-
thorized under subsection (a), the appropriate agen-
cy head shall establish criteria for— 
(A) individuals to be eligible for the Civil-
ian Cyber Security Reserve in the covered agen-
cy; and 
(B) the application and selection processes 
for the Reserve. 
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(2) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
INDIVIDUALS.—The 
criteria established under paragraph (1)(A) with re-
spect to an individual shall include— 
(A) previous employment by the Federal 
Government or within the uniformed services; 
and 
(B) cyber security expertise. 
(3) AGREEMENT
REQUIRED.—An individual 
may become a member of the Civilian Cyber Secu-
rity Reserve only if the individual enters into an 
agreement with the appropriate agency head to be-
come such a member, which shall set forth the rights 
and obligations of the individual and the covered 
agency. 
(4) EXCEPTION
FOR
CONTINUING
MILITARY 
SERVICE COMMITMENTS.—A member of the Selected 
Reserve under section 10143 of title 10, United 
States Code, may not be a member of the Civilian 
Cyber Security Reserve. 
(c) COMPONENTS OF THE CIVILIAN CYBER SECURITY 
RESERVE.—The appropriate agency head may consider, 
in carrying out a pilot project authorized under subsection 
(a), developing different components of the Civilian Cyber 
Security Reserve in the covered agency, one with an obli-
gation to respond when called into activation at the direc-
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tion of the appropriate agency head and one that is not 
compelled to so respond, with appropriate corresponding 
differing benefits for each such component. 
(d) SECURITY CLEARANCES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The appropriate agency 
head shall ensure that all members of the Civilian 
Cyber Security Reserve in the covered agency under-
go the appropriate personnel vetting and adjudica-
tion commensurate with the duties of the position, 
including a determination of eligibility for access to 
classified information where a security clearance is 
necessary, in accordance with Executive Order 
12968 (50 U.S.C. 3161 note; relating to access to 
classified information) and Executive Order 13467 
(50 U.S.C. 3161 note; relating to reforming proc-
esses related to suitability for Government employ-
ment, fitness for contractor employees, and eligibility 
for access to classified national security informa-
tion). 
(2) COST
OF
MAINTAING
CLEARANCES.—The 
original sponsor of a security clearance of a member 
of a Civilian Cyber Security Reserve at a covered 
agency shall be responsible for the cost of maintain-
ing that security clearance. 
(e) PROJECT GUIDANCE.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, each ap-
propriate agency head may issue guidance estab-
lishing and implementing a pilot project authorized 
under subsection (a) at the covered agency. 
(2) PENALTIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In developing guidance 
under paragraph (1), an appropriate agency 
head may provide for penalties for individuals 
who do not respond to activation when called, 
such as recoupment of pay or benefits earned 
as a member of the Civilian Cybersecurity Re-
serve, or recoupment of civilian service cred-
itable under section 8411 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(B) PROCEDURES.—In the case of a pro-
posed penalty or action under this paragraph, 
the individual shall be entitled to the applicable 
procedures set forth in title 5, Code of Federal 
Regulations, or as otherwise specified in appli-
cable guidance. 
(f) EVALUATION.—Not later than 5 years after the 
pilot project authorized under subsection (a) is established 
in each covered agency, the Comptroller General of the 
United States shall— 
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(1) conduct a study evaluating the pilot project 
at each such agency; and 
(2) submit to Congress— 
(A) a report on the results of the study; 
and 
(B) a recommendation with respect to 
whether the pilot project should be modified, 
extended in duration, or established as a per-
manent program. 
(g) REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the pilot 
project authorized under subsection (a) is established in 
a covered agency, the appropriate agency head shall sub-
mit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives a report— 
(1) relating to the activities carried out under 
the pilot project; and 
(2) that includes a recommendation with re-
spect to whether the pilot project should be modi-
fied, extended in duration, or established as a per-
manent program. 
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(h) SUNSET.—A pilot project authorized under this 
section shall terminate on the date that is 6 years after 
the date on which the pilot project is established. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
AGENCY
HEAD.—The term 
‘‘appropriate agency head’’ means— 
(A) in the case of the Department of 
Homeland Security, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security; and 
(B) in the case of the Department of De-
fense, the Secretary of Defense. 
(2) COMPETITIVE SERVICE.—The term ‘‘com-
petitive service’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 2102 of title 5, United States Code. 
(3) COVERED
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘covered 
agency’’ means the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity or the Department of Defense. 
(4) EXCEPTED SERVICE.—The term ‘‘excepted 
service’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
2103 of title 5, United States Code. 
(5) 
TEMPORARY.—The 
term 
‘‘temporary’’ 
means a period of not more than 6 months. 
(6) UNIFORMED
SERVICES.—The term ‘‘uni-
formed services’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 2101 of title 5, United States Code. 
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(j) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to each appropriate 
agency head such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
this section. 
Æ 
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