Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act of 2023
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4502) to amend title 5, United States Code, to allow Federal agencies to establish educational requirements for certain cybersecurity positions in the competitive service, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4502
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 ``Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act of 2023''. SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITIVE SERVICE CYBERSECURITY POSITIONS.
Section 3308 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``The Office of Personnel Management'' and inserting ``(a) In General.--Consistent with subsection (b), the Office of Personnel Management''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Education Requirements for Cybersecurity Positions.--
``(1) In general.--With respect to any covered position--
``(A) an agency may prescribe a minimum educational requirement for employment in such a position only if a minimum education qualification is required by law to perform the duties of the position in the State or locality where the duties of the position are to be performed; and
``(B) an agency may consider education in determining a candidate's satisfaction of any other minimum qualification only if the candidate's education directly reflects the competencies necessary to satisfy that qualification and perform the duties of the position.
``(2) Publication.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act of 2023 and annually thereafter, the Office of Personnel Management shall publish on the Office's website--
``(A) any changes made to minimum qualifications standards concerning education for covered positions; and
``(B) aggregate data indicating the level of educational attainment, sorted by position classification, of all accessions to covered positions.
``(3) Covered position defined.--In this subsection, the term `covered position' means--
``(A) any position in the competitive service classified under the GS-2210 information technology management series, or any successor series; and
``(B) any other position in the competitive service designated as ``cybersecurity'' under the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework (NIST Special Publication 800-181), or successor framework.''.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4502, the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act.
The Federal Government relies on cybersecurity professionals to protect personally identifiable information, defend against cyber threats, and build secure government technology.
To ensure this work is done effectively, the Federal Government desperately needs to hire more cybersecurity experts. The United States, however, faces a labor shortage of cybersecurity professionals, amounting to nearly 700,000 job vacancies.
Many cybersecurity experts have the right technical skills and experience, but Federal hiring managers are not allowed to consider them because they lack a formal college degree.
This bureaucracy creates unnecessary barriers to employing some of the best and brightest cybersecurity professionals.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COMER. Mace), the chair of the Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Cybersecurity Information Technology, and Government Innovation.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act will ensure that the Federal Government can hire any qualified cybersecurity professional as long as they have the right knowledge and skills even if they do not have a fancy degree. I encourage my House colleagues to support this commonsense government transparency bill, the MACE Act, sponsored by Chairwoman Nancy Mace, that will make America smarter and more secure.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source