Title: Cybersecurity Opportunity Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Cybersecurity Opportunity Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to award grants to specified institutions of higher education for establishing or expanding cybersecurity education programs and opportunities.
Eligible institutions include minority-serving institutions and historically Black colleges and universities, and grant recipients may use the funds to increase research, education, technical, partnership, and innovation capacity for cybersecurity programs, research, and training experiences.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2305 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2305

                  To enhance cybersecurity education.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2021

  Mr. Ossoff introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                  To enhance cybersecurity education.

    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 ``Cybersecurity Opportunity Act''.

SEC. 2. DR. DAVID SATCHER CYBERSECURITY EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Authorization of Grants.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall--
            (1) award grants to assist public institutions of higher 
        education that have an enrollment of needy students (as defined 
        in section 312(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1058(d))), Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
        and minority-serving institutions, to establish or expand 
        cybersecurity programs, to build and upgrade institutional 
        capacity to better support new or existing cybersecurity 
        programs, including cybersecurity partnerships with public and 
        private entities, and to support such institutions on the path 
        to producing qualified entrants in the cybersecurity workforce 
        or becoming a National Center of Academic Excellence in 
        Cybersecurity through the program carried out by the National 
        Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security; and
            (2) award grants for a 5-year pilot period to build 
        capacity to public institutions of higher education that have 
        an enrollment of needy students (as defined in section 312(d) 
        of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058(d))), 
        Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and minority-
        serving institutions, to expand cybersecurity education 
        opportunities, cybersecurity technology and programs, 
        cybersecurity research, and cybersecurity partnerships with 
        public and private entities.
    (b) Applications.--An eligible institution seeking a grant under 
subsection (a) shall submit an application to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may reasonably require, including a statement of how 
the institution will use the funds awarded through the grant to expand 
cybersecurity education opportunities at the eligible institution.
    (c) Activities.--An eligible institution that receives a grant 
under this section may use the funds awarded through such grant for 
increasing research, education, technical, partnership, and innovation 
capacity, including for--
            (1) building and upgrading institutional capacity to better 
        support new or existing cybersecurity programs, including 
        cybersecurity partnerships with public and private entities; 
        and
            (2) building and upgrading institutional capacity to 
        provide hands-on research and training experiences for 
        undergraduate and graduate students.
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