,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ccc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #e1       
#bjai,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,leahy1 and ,mr4 ,cruz7 introduced the  
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary 
of ,homeland ,security to work with     
cybersecurity consortia for training1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,national ,cybersecurity ,preparedness  
,consortium ,act of #bjai4  #b4         
,definitions ,in this ,act--  7#a7 the  
term consortium means a group primarily 
composed of nonprofit entities1         
including academic institutions1 that   
develop1 update1 and deliver            
cybersecurity training in support of    
homeland security2  7#b7 the terms      
cybersecurity risk and incident have the
 meanings given those terms in section  
#bbji7;a7 of the ,homeland ,security    

,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #fei7;a772  
7#c7 the term ,department means the     
,department of ,homeland ,security2 and 
7#d7 the term ,secretary means the      
,secretary of ,homeland ,security4  #c4 
,national cybersecurity preparedness    
consortium  7a7 ,in general ,the        
,secretary may work with a consortium to
 support efforts to address             
cybersecurity risks and incidents4  7b7 
,assistance to the ,,nccic ,the         
,secretary may work with a consortium to
 assist the national cybersecurity and  
communications integration center of the
 ,department 7established under section 
#bbji of the ,homeland ,security ,act of
 #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #fei77 to--  7#a7  
provide training to ,state and local    
first responders and officials          
specifically for preparing for and      
responding to cybersecurity risks and   
incidents1 in accordance with applicable
 law2  7#b7 develop and update a        
curriculum utilizing existing programs  
and models in accordance with such      

section #bbji1 for ,state and local     
first responders and officials1 related 
to cybersecurity risks and incidents2   
7#c7 provide technical assistance       
services to build and sustain           
capabilities in support of preparedness 
for and response to cybersecurity risks 
and incidents1 including threats of     
terrorism and acts of terrorism1 in     
accordance with such section #bbji2     
7#d7 conduct cross-sector cybersecurity 
training and simulation exercises for   
entities1 including ,state and local    
governments1 critical infrastructure    
owners and operators1 and private       
industry1 to encourage community-wide   
coordination in defending against and   
responding to cybersecurity risks and   
incidents1 in accordance with section   
#bbaj7;c7 of the ,homeland ,security    
,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #ffj7;c772  
7#e7 help ,states and communities       
develop cybersecurity information       
sharing programs1 in accordance with    
section #bbji of the ,homeland ,security

 ,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #fei71 for 
the dissemination of homeland security  
information related to cybersecurity    
risks and incidents2 and  7#f7 help     
incorporate cybersecurity risk and      
incident prevention and response into   
existing ,state and local emergency     
plans1 including continuity of          
operations plans4  7c7 ,considerations  
regarding selection of a consortium ,in 
selecting a consortium with which to    
work under this ,act1 the ,secretary    
shall take into consideration the       
following3  7#a7 ,any prior experience  
conducting cybersecurity training and   
exercises for ,state and local entities4
  7#b7 ,geographic diversity of the     
members of any such consortium so as to 
cover different regions throughout the  
,united ,states4  7d7 ,metrics ,if the  
,secretary works with a consortium under
 subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall   
measure the effectiveness of the        
activities undertaken by the consortium 
under this ,act4  7e7 ,outreach ,the    

,secretary shall conduct outreach to    
universities and colleges1 including    
historically ,black colleges and        
universities1 ,hispanic-serving         
institutions1 ,tribal ,colleges and     
,universities1 and other                
minority-serving institutions1 regarding
 opportunities to support efforts to    
address cybersecurity risks and         
incidents1 by working with the          
,secretary under subsection 7a74  #d4   
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
,act may be construed to authorize a    
consortium to control or direct any law 
enforcement agency in the exercise of   
the duties of the law enforcement       
agency4