S. 429Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Cyber Security Exchange Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC

The Cyber Security Exchange Act would require five federal entities – the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Energy, and the Attorney General – to set up voluntary exchange programs that let cybersecurity experts move temporarily between those agencies and private‑sector organizations. The goal is to share expertise, improve government and industry cyber defenses, and give participants real‑world experience.

Key Provisions

Within 180 days of the law’s enactment, each agency head must submit a report to the relevant congressional committees outlining a plan, timeline, and expected benefits for the exchange program.
If an agency cannot create the program, it must notify Congress explaining the legal or practical reasons.
Each agency must then, after consulting the Office of Personnel Management, establish a voluntary exchange where:
– Agency cybersecurity staff can be detailed to a private‑sector institution for a temporary assignment while still considered on duty for the agency.
– Private‑sector cybersecurity staff can be detailed to the agency for 90 days to 2 years, receive compensation from their employer, and be treated as employees of that employer during the detail.
The Act does not alter any pre‑existing programs and does not stop participants from teaching at colleges or research institutions while detailed.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

February 7, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 7, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

February 7, 2019

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 429 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Sen. Gary C. PetersD-MI · Feb 13, 2019

Mr. President, cyber attacks are one of the greatest threats to our national security today. As our world becomes increasingly connected, bad actors are trying to infiltrate our most critical…

Mr. President, cyber attacks are one of the greatest threats to our national security today. As our world becomes increasingly connected, bad actors are trying to infiltrate our most critical networks, from our military systems and our electrical grid to our financial institutions and our small businesses.

We face a rising number of cyber attacks that have the potential to expose our sensitive, personal information or disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives. These cyber security vulnerabilities cut across every industry. Whether you are a small business trying to protect your customers' credit card details, a doctor's office with private medical insurance information, or even a sophisticated tech startup that needs to safeguard your customers' passwords, cyber security protections are absolutely vital to your success.

We have seen the dangerous consequences of attacks that exposed the private data of millions of Americans--from companies like Equifax and Target to Federal Agencies like the Office of Personnel Management and the IRS. Government Agencies of all sizes are at risk of a breach that could jeopardize the sensitive information they are trusted with, and these threats will only continue to grow.

We need a skilled cyber workforce of professionals to shore up our cyber protections, fortify our legacy systems, and build new and innovative infrastructure with safety and security in mind. Despite the glaring need for more cyber security professionals, we face a serious shortage of highly trained cyber experts to fill these positions. Estimates indicate there is a global shortage of approximately 3 million desperately needed cyber security professionals, including nearly half a million in North America, where government and the private sector are competing to hire the best talent.

The Federal Government faces serious challenges in this competition. Agencies often cannot offer the same top salaries and benefits that Silicon Valley uses to entice and to retain employees. Our cyber workforce is on the frontlines of every aspect of our digital security, and we need policies that address that reality and sustain and grow our ranks.

While thousands of dedicated public servants choose to work in government because they are motivated by the mission of serving our country, there is more we can do to grow the pool of cyber workers and recruit them to government service. Congress has made strides in recent years to improve incentives and attract skilled cyber professionals to join the ranks.

Moving forward, we can make cyber positions in government more attractive by providing cyber professionals with unique opportunities to enhance their careers while they help protect our country's security. That is why I introduced the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act with Senator Hoeven. Our bipartisan legislation helps the Federal Government develop an integrated cyber security workforce that retains high-skilled employees by establishing a civilian personnel rotation program specifically for cyber professionals. It is based on similar joint duty programs for the military services and the intelligence community.

The Rotational Cyber Workforce Program will provide civilian employees in

cyber roles opportunities to enhance their careers, broaden their professional experience, and foster collaborative networks by experiencing and contributing to the cyber mission beyond their home Agencies. By offering these kinds of dynamic and rewarding opportunities, this legislation will help retain highly talented cyber professionals and strengthen our government's security by developing greater interagency awareness and collaboration.

I am pleased that this morning the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee unanimously approved this legislation. It moves us closer to closing the cyber security workforce gap.

In addition to taking commonsense steps like we did today in committee, Congress needs to look ahead and plan for long-term solutions to ensure that we always have a strong, competitive pool of cyber security talent to draw on. We need policies that encourage students of all ages and educational levels to seek out STEM fields, such as computer science, so they are prepared to fill these in-demand jobs and be our first line of defense against these emerging and rapidly evolving threats.

I look forward to continuing to work with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to get this bill signed into law and to advance other commonsense legislation that strengthens our Nation's cyber capabilities and safeguards the weakest links in the cyber security chain from harm.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA · Feb 13, 2019

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 7, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 429

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 7, 2019

Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Thune) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

A BILL

To require the establishment of exchange programs relating to cybersecurity positions between the private sector and certain Federal agencies, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cyber Security Exchange Act.

Cybersecurity professional exchange programs

(a)

Establishment of programs

(1)

Reports to Congress

(A)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Energy, and the Attorney General shall each submit to the appropriate committees of Congress with respect to that agency head a report that contains—

(i)

a plan and timeline for implementing the program described in paragraph (2) at the agency (or, in the case of the Director of National Intelligence, at an element of the intelligence community); and

(ii)

an evaluation of the benefits to the agency (or, in the case of the Director of National Intelligence, to an element of the intelligence community) from the establishment of the program described in paragraph (2).

(B)

Inability to establish program

If an agency head described in subparagraph (A) determines that the agency head is unable to establish the program required under paragraph (2) at the agency (or, in the case of the Director of National Intelligence, at an element of the intelligence community), the agency head shall submit to Congress a notification that describes—

(i)

the legal basis for that inability; and

(ii)

any other specific factor that prevents the establishment of the program.

(2)

Establishment

Except in the case of a determination made under paragraph (1)(B), not later than 180 days after the date on which each agency head described in paragraph (1)(A) submits the report required under that paragraph, the agency head shall, after consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, establish a voluntary exchange program between the applicable agency (or, with respect to the Director of National Intelligence, an element of the intelligence community) and private sector institutions, under which—

(A)

a covered individual who is an employee of the agency, or of an element of the intelligence community, as applicable—

(i)

may elect to be temporarily detailed to a private sector institution that has elected to receive the covered individual; and

(ii)

during the period of detail described in clause (i), shall be considered to be on detail to a regular work assignment in that agency or element for all purposes; and

(B)

a covered individual who is an employee of a private sector institution—

(i)

may elect to be temporarily detailed to the agency or element—

(I)

if the agency or element has elected to receive the covered individual; and

(II)

for a period of not shorter than 90 days and not longer than 2 years; and

(ii)

during the period of detail described in clause (i)(II), shall—

(I)

receive from the private sector institution financial compensation, benefits, and any other type of compensation or support otherwise provided by or through the private sector institution during the course of the employment of the covered individual with the private sector institution; and

(II)

be considered to be an employee of the private sector institution, and not of the agency or element, for all purposes.

(b)

Rules of construction

Nothing in this Act may be construed to—

(1)

modify or otherwise affect any program that is in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; or

(2)

prevent a covered individual who is detailed under subsection (a)(2)(B) from serving as an instructor at an institution of higher education or a research institution during that period of detail.

(c)

Definitions

In this section—

(1)

the term appropriate committees of Congress means—

(A)

with respect to the Director of National Intelligence—

(i)

the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and

(ii)

the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives;

(B)

with respect to the Secretary of Defense—

(i)

the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and

(ii)

the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives;

(C)

with respect to the Secretary of Homeland Security—

(i)

the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and

(ii)

the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives;

(D)

with respect to the Secretary of Energy—

(i)

the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;

(ii)

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;

(iii)

the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and

(iv)

the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and

(E)

with respect to the Attorney General—

(i)

the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and

(ii)

the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;

(2)

the term covered individual means an individual who has demonstrated expertise and work experience in cybersecurity or a related discipline;

(3)

the term cybersecurity or a related discipline—

(A)

means a discipline relating to cybersecurity; and

(B)

includes—

(i)

a field or discipline relating to—

(I)

intrusion detection;

(II)

secure software development;

(III)

attack mitigation;

(IV)

system administration;

(V)

network services;

(VI)

operating systems;

(VII)

software application;

(VIII)

enterprise architecture;

(IX)

internet services;

(X)

data management;

(XI)

system analysis; or

(XII)

malware analysis; and

(ii)

any other field or discipline that the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Energy, or the Attorney General determines appropriate for the purposes of the applicable program established by that agency head under subsection (a)(2);

(4)

the term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);

(5)

the term intelligence community has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003); and

(6)

the term private sector institution includes—

(A)

a nonpublic or commercial person or business;

(B)

a research institution;

(C)

an institution of higher education; and

(D)

any other institution that the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Energy, or the Attorney General determines appropriate for the purposes of the applicable program established by that agency head under subsection (a)(2).