S.Amdt. 2724

1. Rewrites section 404

   Replaces

   In S. 3414 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   SEC. 404. FEDERAL CYBER SCHOLARSHIP-FOR-SERVICE PROGRAM.

   (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary[struck: , shall establish a Federal Cyber Scholarship-for-Service program to recruit ][inserted: ]and [struck: train ]the [struck: next generation ][inserted: Director ]of [struck: information technology professionals, industrial control system security professionals, and security managers to meet ]the [struck: needs][inserted: Office] of [struck: the cybersecurity mission for the ][inserted: Personnel Management, shall carry out a ]Federal [struck: Government and State, local, and tribal governments.][inserted: Cyber Scholarship-for-Service program--]

   Struck: (b) Program Description and Components.--The program established under subsection (a) shall--

   Inserted: (1) to increase the capacity of institutions of higher education to produce cybersecurity professionals; and

   Inserted: (2) to recruit and train the next generation of information technology professionals, industry control security professionals, and security managers to meet the needs of the cybersecurity mission for the Federal Government and State, local, and tribal governments.

   Inserted: (b) Program Description and Components.--The program carried out under subsection (a) shall--

   (1) incorporate findings from the assessment and development of the strategy under section 405;

   Struck: (2) provide not more than 1,000 scholarships per year, to students who are enrolled in a program of study at an institution of higher education leading to a degree or specialized program certification in the cybersecurity field, in an amount that covers each student's tuition and fees at the institution and provides the student with an additional stipend;

   Struck: (3) require each scholarship recipient, as a condition of receiving a scholarship under the program, to enter into an agreement under which the recipient agrees to work in the cybersecurity mission of a Federal, State, local, or tribal agency for a period equal to the length of the scholarship following receipt of the student's degree if offered employment in that field by a Federal, State, local, or tribal agency;

   Struck: (4) provide a procedure by which the National Science Foundation or a Federal agency may, consistent with regulations of the Office of Personnel Management, request and fund security clearances for scholarship recipients, including providing for clearances during summer internships and after the recipient receives the degree; and

   Struck: (5) provide opportunities for students to receive temporary appointments for meaningful employment in the cybersecurity mission of a Federal agency during school vacation periods and for internships.

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   Struck: (c) Hiring Authority.--

   Struck: (1) In general.--For purposes of any law or regulation governing the appointment of individuals in the Federal civil service, upon receiving a degree for which an individual received a scholarship under this section, the individual shall be--

   Struck: (A) hired under the authority provided for in section 213.3102(r) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations; and

   Struck: (B) exempt from competitive service.

   Struck: (2) Competitive service position.--Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the service term of an individual hired under paragraph (1), the individual may be converted to a competitive service position without competition if the individual meets the requirements for that position.

   Struck: (d) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a scholarship under this section, an individual shall--

   Struck: (1) be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States;

   Struck: (2) demonstrate a commitment to a career in improving the security of information infrastructure; and

   Struck: (3) have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in mathematics, engineering, or computer sciences.

   Struck: (e) Repayment.--If a recipient of a scholarship under this section does not meet the terms of the scholarship program, the recipient shall refund the scholarship payments in accordance with rules established by the Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary.

   Struck: (f) Evaluation and Report.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall evaluate and report periodically to Congress on the success of recruiting individuals for the scholarships and on hiring and retaining those individuals in the public sector workforce.

   Inserted: (2) provide institutions of higher education, including community colleges, with sufficient funding to carry out a scholarship program, as described in subsection (c); and

   Inserted: (3) provide assistance to institutions of higher education in establishing or expanding educational opportunities and resources in cybersecurity, as authorized under section 5 of the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7404).

   Inserted: (c) Scholarship Program.--

   Inserted: (1) Institutions of higher education.--An institution of higher education that carries out a scholarship program under subsection (b)(2) shall--

   Inserted: (A) provide 2- or 3-year scholarships to students who are enrolled in a program of study at the institution of higher education leading to a degree, credential, or specialized program certification in the cybersecurity field, in an amount that covers each student's tuition and fees at the institution and provides the student with an additional stipend;

   Inserted: (B) require each scholarship recipient, as a condition of receiving a scholarship under the program--

   Inserted: (i) to enter into an agreement under which the recipient agrees to work in the cybersecurity mission of a Federal, State, local, or tribal agency for a period equal to the length of the scholarship following receipt of the student's degree, credential, or specialized program certification; and

   Inserted: (ii) to refund any scholarship payments received by the recipient, in accordance with rules established by the Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary, if a recipient does not meet the terms of the scholarship program; and

   Inserted: (C) provide clearly documented evidence of a strong existing program in cybersecurity, which may include designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

   Inserted: (2) Scholarship eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a scholarship under a scholarship program carried out by an institution of higher education under subsection (b)(2), an individual shall--

   Inserted: (A) be a full-time student of the institution of higher education who is likely to receive a baccalaureate degree, a masters degree, or a research-based doctoral degree during the 3-year period beginning on the date on which the individual receives the scholarship;

   Inserted: (B) be a citizen of lawful permanent resident of the United States;

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   Inserted: (C) demonstrate a commitment to a career in improving the security of information infrastructure; and

   Inserted: (D) have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in fields relevant to the cybersecurity profession, which may include mathematics, engineering, business, public policy, social sciences, law, or computer sciences.

   Inserted: (3) Other program requirements.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, in coordination with the Secretary and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall ensure that each scholarship program carried out under subsection (b)(2)--

   Inserted: (A) provides a procedure by which the National Science Foundation or a Federal agency may, consistent with regulations of the Office of Personnel Management, request and fund security clearances for scholarships recipients, including providing for clearances during summer internships and after the recipient receives the degree, credential, or specialized program certification; and

   Inserted: (B) provides opportunities for students to receive temporary appointments for meaningful employment in the cybersecurity mission of a Federal agency during vacation periods and for internships.

   Inserted: (4) Hiring authority.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--For purposes of any law or regulation governing the appointment of individuals in the Federal civil service, upon receiving a degree for which an individual received a scholarship under a scholarship program carried out by an institution of higher education under subsection (b)(2), the individual shall be--

   Inserted: (i) hired under the authority provided for in section 213.3102(r) or title 5, Code of Federal Regulations; and

   Inserted: (ii) exempt from competitive service.

   Inserted: (B) Competitive service position.--Upon satisfactory fulfillment of the service term of an individual hired under subparagraph (A), the individual may be converted to a competitive service position with competition if the individual meets the requirements for that position.

   Inserted: (5) Evaluation and report.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall evaluate and report periodically to Congress on--

   Inserted: (A) the success of any scholarship programs carried out under subsection (b)(2) in recruiting individuals for scholarships; and

   Inserted: (B) hiring and retaining individuals who receive scholarships under a scholarship program carried out under subsection (b)(2) in the public sector workforce.

   Inserted: (d) Benchmarks.--

   Inserted: (1) Proposals.--A proposal submitted to the Director of the National Science Foundation for assistance under subsection (b)(3) shall include--

   Inserted: (A) clearly stated goals translated into a set of expected measurable outcomes that can be monitored; and

   Inserted: (B) an evaluation plan that explains how the outcomes described in subparagraph (A) will be measured.

   Inserted: (2) Use of goals.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall use the goals included in a proposal submitted under paragraph (1)--

   Inserted: (A) to track the progress of a recipient of assistance under subsection (b)(3);

   Inserted: (B) to guide a project carried out using assistance under subsection (b)(3); and

   Inserted: (C) to evaluate the impact of a project carried out using assistance under subsection (b)(3).

   Original wording

   Strike section 404 and insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed