,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ged ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bh1 #bjag ,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 and ,mrs4 ,murray7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to support meeting our ,nation's growing cybersecurity workforce needs by expanding the cybersecurity education pipeline4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,cyber ,scholarship ,opportunities ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,a well-trained workforce is essential to meeting the ,nation's growing cybersecurity needs4 7#b7 ,a #bjae report by the ,national ,academy of ,public ,administration found that the ,united ,states faces a severe shortage of properly trained and equipped cybersecurity professionals4 7#c7 ,a #bjae study of the information security workforce found that the information security workforce shortfall is widening4 7#d7 ,the ,national ,science ,foundation's ,cyber,corps3 ,scholarship-for-,service program is a successful effort to support capacity building in institutions of higher education and scholarships for students to pursue cybersecurity careers4 #c4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 given the current need for cybersecurity professionals in the public and private sectors1 ,congress and the ,federal ,government should support existing programs to boost their success2 7#b7 the ,federal ,government should also build upon and develop existing programs to meet emerging challenges1 such as the need to protect critical infrastructure and the greater need for cybersecurity professionals of various skill levels2 7#c7 there is a need for greater engagement with students at the kindergarten through grade #ab level to recruit young people to pursue career paths in cybersecurity2 7#d7 many community colleges offer degrees or industry-recognized credentials in cybersecurity and related fields that prepare students to fill high-demand cybersecurity jobs1 and the ,federal ,government should support programs at #b-year institutions of higher education that help students develop skills necessary to support the ,nation's cybersecurity missions2 and 7#e7 the ,federal ,government should expand existing programs to support re-training mid-career individuals1 such as veterans of the ,armed ,forces1 to fill cybersecurity positions4 #d4 ,federal ,cyber ,scholarship-for-,service program ,section #cjb of the ,cybersecurity ,enhancement ,act of #bjad 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #gddb7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a71 by adding at the end the following3 ,not less than #e percent of scholarships provided under this section shall be provided to eligible students who are pursuing an associate's degree in a cybersecurity field without the intent of transferring to a bachelor's degree program and either have a bachelor's degree already or are veterans of the ,armed ,forces42 7#b7 in subsection 7d71 by adding at the end the following3 ,in the case of a scholarship recipient who is pursuing a doctoral or master's degree1 such agreement may include 7if determined appropriate on a case-by-case basis by the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation7 an agreement for the recipient to work at an institution of higher education or for a local educational agency teaching cybersecurity skills for a period equal to the length of the scholarship following receipt of such degree42 7#c7 in subsection 7f7-- 7,a7 by striking paragraph 7#c7 and inserting the following3 7#c7 have demonstrated a high level of competency in relevant knowledge1 skills1 and abilities1 as described in the national cybersecurity awareness and education program under section #dja2 2 and 7,b7 by striking paragraph 7#d7 and inserting the following3 7#d7 be a student in an eligible degree program at a qualified institution of higher education1 as determined by the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation1 who is-- 7,a7 a full-time student2 or 7,b7 a student who is enrolled for study leading to a degree on a less than full-time basis but not less than half-time basis2 and 2 7#d7 by striking subsection 7m7 and inserting the following3 7m7 ,evaluation and report 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall evaluate and make public1 in a manner that protects the personally identifiable information of scholarship recipients1 information on the success of recruiting individuals for scholarships under this section and on hiring and retaining those individuals in the public sector workforce1 including on-- 7,a7 placement rates2 7,b7 where students are placed2 7,c7 student salary ranges for students not released from obligations under this section2 7,d7 how long after graduation they are placed2 7,e7 how long they stay in the positions they enter upon graduation2 7,f7 how many students are released from obligations2 and 7,g7 what 7if any7 remedial training needs are required4 7#b7 ,regular reports ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall submit reports to ,congress under paragraph 7#a7 not less often than once every #e years4 2 and 7#e7 by adding at the end the following3 7n7 ,resources ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall work with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management to provide adequate resources to the ,cyber,corps community in the form of an online resource center1 where all other relevant websites will be consolidated or eliminated1 if possible4 ,to the extent applicable1 such websites shall-- 7#a7 present up-to-date1 accurate information about existing scholarship programs and job opportunities2 7#b7 present a modernized view of cybersecurity careers2 7#c7 improve user friendliness2 and 7#d7 allow prospective job applicants to search positions by ,state1 salary1 and title4 7o7 ,advertisements ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation shall work with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management and ,state1 local1 and tribal agencies to advertise cybersecurity positions to scholarship recipients under this section1 such as by hosting1 in coordination with such office and agencies1 a virtual job fair for scholarship recipients4 7p7 ,cybersecurity at kindergarten through grade #ab level ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation1 in coordination with other ,federal agencies as necessary1 shall carry out a program to grow and improve cybersecurity education at the kindergarten through grade #ab level that-- 7#a7 increases interest in cybersecurity careers2 7#b7 helps students practice correct and safe online behavior and understand the foundational principles of cybersecurity2 and 7#c7 improves teaching methods for delivering cybersecurity content for kindergarten through grade #ab computer science curricula4 7q7 ,critical infrastructure protection ,due to the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals to protect the ,nation's critical infrastructure1 the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation may-- 7#a7 grant exceptions to students for fulfilling post-award employment obligations under this section 7on a case-by-case basis and in coordination with other ,federal agencies7 who agree to work in a critical infrastructure mission at a ,federal ,government corporation or a ,state1 local1 or tribal government-affiliated asset1 system1 or network that is considered to be part of a critical infrastructure sector as described in ,presidential ,policy ,directive-#ba1 issued ,february #ab1 #bjac 7related to critical infrastructure security and resilience71 or any successor2 and 7#b7 develop a pilot program to enhance critical infrastructure protection training for students pursuing careers in cybersecurity4 7r7 ,study ,the ,director of the ,national ,science ,foundation1 in coordination with the ,director of the ,office of ,personnel ,management1 shall assess the potential benefits and feasibility of granting scholarship awards under this section to students who do not possess a bachelor's degree to pursue an associate's degree or an industry-recognized credential in a cybersecurity field4 4