Title: Department of Homeland Security Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Fellowship Program Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Department of Homeland Security Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Fellowship Program Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to carry out an intelligence and cybersecurity diversity fellowship program. Through this program, eligible socially disadvantaged individuals may participate in a paid internship related to intelligence or cybersecurity, receive tuition assistance, and, upon graduation from an institution of higher education and completion of the program, receive an offer of employment for an intelligence or cybersecurity position at DHS.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8993 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8993

 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
   Homeland Security to carry out an intelligence and cybersecurity 
         diversity fellowship program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2020

Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself and Mr. Schiff) introduced the 
    following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland 
                                Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of 
   Homeland Security to carry out an intelligence and cybersecurity 
         diversity fellowship program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Homeland Security 
Intelligence and Cybersecurity Diversity Fellowship Program Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INTELLIGENCE AND CYBERSECURITY 
              DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title XIII of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 1333. INTELLIGENCE AND CYBERSECURITY DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP 
              PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        `appropriate committees of Congress' means--
                    ``(A) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs and the Select Committee on 
                Intelligence of the Senate; and
                    ``(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and the 
                Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House 
                of Representatives.
            ``(2) Excepted service.--The term `excepted service' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 2103 of title 5, United 
        States Code.
            ``(3) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        `historically Black college or university' has the meaning 
        given the term `part B institution' in section 322 of the 
        Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
            ``(4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            ``(5) Minority-serving institution.--The term `minority-
        serving institution' means an institution of higher education 
        described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
    ``(b) Program.--The Secretary shall carry out an intelligence and 
cybersecurity diversity fellowship program (in this section referred to 
as the `Program') under which an eligible individual may--
            ``(1) participate in a paid internship at the Department 
        that relates to intelligence, cybersecurity, or a combination 
        thereof;
            ``(2) receive tuition assistance from the Secretary; and
            ``(3) upon graduation from an institution of higher 
        education and successful completion of the Program (as defined 
        by the Secretary), receive an offer of employment to work in an 
        intelligence or cybersecurity position of the Department that 
        is in the excepted service.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate in the Program, 
an individual shall--
            ``(1) be a citizen of the United States; and
            ``(2) as of the date of submitting an application to 
        participate in the Program--
                    ``(A) have a cumulative grade point average of at 
                least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale;
                    ``(B) be a socially disadvantaged individual (as 
                that term is defined in section 124.103 of title 13, 
                Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation); 
                and
                    ``(C) be a sophomore, junior, or senior at an 
                institution of higher education, including a 
                historically Black college or university or minority-
                serving institution.
    ``(d) Direct Hire Authority.--If an individual who receives an 
offer of employment under subsection (b)(3) accepts such offer, the 
Secretary shall appoint, without regard to provisions of subchapter I 
of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code (except for section 3328 
of such title), such individual to the position specified in such 
offer.
    ``(e) Reports.--
            ``(1) Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this section, and on an annual basis 
        thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
        committees of Congress a report on the Program.
            ``(2) Matters.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall 
        include, with respect to the most recent year, the following:
                    ``(A) A description of outreach efforts by the 
                Secretary to raise awareness of the Program among 
                institutions of higher education in which eligible 
                individuals are enrolled.
                    ``(B) Information on specific recruiting efforts 
                conducted by the Secretary to increase participation in 
                the Program.
                    ``(C) The number of individuals participating in 
                the Program, listed by the institution of higher 
                education in which the individual is enrolled at the 
                time of participation, and information on the nature of 
                such participation, including regarding whether the 
                duties of the individual under the Program relate 
                primarily to intelligence or cybersecurity.
                    ``(D) The number of individuals who accepted an 
                offer of employment under the Program and an 
                identification of the element within the Department to 
                which each individual was appointed.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for such Act is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1332 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 1333. Intelligence and cybersecurity diversity fellowship 
                            program.''.
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