I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 328 
To require the Secretary of State to design and establish a Vulnerability 
Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve Department of State cybersecurity 
and a bug bounty program to identify and report vulnerabilities of 
internet-facing information technology of the Department of State, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 8, 2019 
Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself and Mr. YOHO) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
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. 
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’’. 
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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— 
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(A) conducting vulnerability discovery ac-
tivities directed at Department information 
technology; and 
(B) submitting discovered security vulnera-
bilities to the Department; and 
(2) creating Department procedures and infra-
structure to receive and fix discovered vulnerabili-
ties. 
(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 individuals, organizations, and 
companies that comply with the requirements of the 
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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 contracts to entities, as necessary, to 
manage the process and implement the remediation 
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 
VDP, including information relating to the following: 
(1) The number and severity, in accordance 
with the National Vulnerabilities Database of the 
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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) The resources, surge staffing, roles, and re-
sponsibilities within the Department used to imple-
ment the VDP and complete security vulnerability 
remediation. 
(6) 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. 
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(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 contracts to entities, as nec-
essary, to manage such pilot program and for 
executing the remediation of security vulnerabil-
ities identified pursuant to subparagraph (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 individuals, organizations, 
or companies that comply with the requirements 
of such pilot program are protected from pros-
ecution under section 1030 of title 18, United 
States Code, and similar provisions of law for 
specific activities authorized under such pilot 
program; 
(E) consult with the relevant offices at the 
Department of Defense that were responsible 
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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; 
(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 complements 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. 
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(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— 
(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; 
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(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 
(7) the lessons learned from such pilot pro-
gram. 
Æ 
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