[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9270 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9270
To establish a grant program within the Department of Labor to support
the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered
apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 2, 2024
Ms. Lee of Nevada (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and
the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a grant program within the Department of Labor to support
the creation, implementation, and expansion of registered
apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity.
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 ``Cyber Ready Workforce Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to projections from Georgetown University's
Center on Education and the Workforce, the United States was
already set to experience a shortage of 5,000,000 workers with
postsecondary education or training, including training leading
to vocational certificates and apprenticeship training, by
2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this problem.
(2) Registered apprenticeships strengthen the Nation's
economy, create pathways to good-paying careers, and help meet
the Nation's current workforce demands.
(3) Apprenticeships can help fill the Nation's workforce
needs, including in fields not traditionally linked to
apprenticeships, such as cybersecurity.
(4) The cybersecurity field has a severe shortage in
talent, with over 597,000 job openings today, according to
CyberSeek, an interactive cybersecurity jobs heat map funded by
the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards
and Technology (NIST).
(5) Employers, especially in cybersecurity and information
technology fields, may be unfamiliar with the apprenticeship
model or do not have the capacity or resources to develop and
implement their own training.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Registered apprenticeship program.--The term
``registered apprenticeship program'' means a program
registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (commonly known as
the ``National Apprenticeship Act''; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).
(2) Workforce intermediary.--The term ``workforce
intermediary'' means an entity that facilitates the
establishment of registered apprenticeship programs, and may be
a partnership that includes one or more of the following as
partners:
(A) A business or industry organization.
(B) A community-based organization, as defined in
section 3201(5) of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(5)).
(C) A State board or local board, as such terms are
defined in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
(D) A postsecondary education institution with
experience in developing and administering registered
apprenticeship programs.
(E) A joint labor-management partnership.
(F) An institution of higher education, as defined
in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(G) A nonprofit organization.
SEC. 4. CYBERSECURITY APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Labor shall award grants, on a
competitive basis, to workforce intermediaries, to support the
establishment, implementation, and expansion of registered
apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity.
(b) Description of Programs Eligible.--For purposes of subsection
(a), registered apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity shall include
technical instruction, workplace training, and industry-recognized
certification in cybersecurity. Programs shall--
(1) include certifications in CompTIA Network+, CompTIA A+,
CompTIA Security+, Microsoft Windows 10 Technician, Microsoft
Certified System Administrator, Certified Network Defender,
Certified Ethical Hacker, ISACA Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX),
(ISC)\2\'s Certified Information Systems Security Professional
(CISSP), or other industry-recognized certification in
cybersecurity;
(2) encourage stackable and portable credentials; and
(3) lead to occupations such as computer support
specialists, cybersecurity support technicians, cloud computing
architects, computer programmers, computer systems analysts, or
security specialists.
SEC. 5. USE OF FUNDS.
(a) Required Activities.--A workforce intermediary shall use at
least 85 percent of the amount of grant funds received under this Act
for the following:
(1) Development and technical support.--Complete the
apprenticeship registration process with the Department of
Labor, and assist employers with other logistical and technical
issues.
(2) Employer partnership.--
(A) In general.--Develop curricula and technical
instruction for the registered apprenticeship program
in cooperation with local businesses, organizations,
and employer-partners, referencing the work roles and
tasks outlined in the National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce
Framework Special Publication 800-181 to develop skills
and standards for the program.
(B) Offsite training.--Assist employers in paying
for the cost of offsite training and acquiring course
materials provided to apprentices.
(C) Connecting employers.--Connect employers with
education and training providers to complement on-the-
job learning.
(3) Support services for apprentices.--Provide support
services to apprentices to assist with their success in the
registered apprenticeship program, which may include the
following:
(A) Career counseling.
(B) Mentorship.
(C) Assisting with costs of transportation,
housing, and child care services.
(b) Allowable Activities.--A workforce intermediary may use up to
15 percent of the amount of grant funds received under this Act for the
following outreach and marketing activities:
(1) Market apprenticeships and the apprenticeship model to
employers, secondary school administrators, and counselors.
(2) Recruit and conduct outreach to potential apprentices,
including secondary school students, underrepresented
populations (such as women and minorities), youth, and
veterans.
(3) Connect and collaborate with other workforce
intermediaries, and coordinate resources with Federal
investments in the registered apprenticeship program, to--
(A) minimize the duplication of efforts;
(B) share best practices; and
(C) widely disseminate training resources and
materials developed with grant funds provided under
this Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated, such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act.
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