H.R. 4502 – Reading Mode

IIB

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 4502

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

October 3, 2023

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

AN ACT

To amend title 5, United States Code, to limit the use of educational requirements or qualifications in evaluating candidates for certain cybersecurity positions in the competitive service, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act of 2023.

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.

Passed the House of Representatives October 2, 2023.

Kevin F. McCumber,

Clerk.