Bipartisan Lawmakers File Bicameral Bill on Cybersecurity Workforce Development

A bipartisan bill has been filed in Congress mandating the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to establish cybersecurity apprenticeship and the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a veterans’ cybersecurity training program. 

Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wi., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., introduced the Federal Cybersecurity Workforce Expansion Act on Thursday, which has a companion bill in the Senate. 

In July, Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, filed the  Senate companion bill, which was presented on Thursday to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee with amendments by Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., FedScoop reported.

The House bill calls for the involvement of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation and the Office of Personnel Management in the CISA director’s development of the apprenticeship program. 

The bill also calls for the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Labor to collaborate with the VA in piloting the veterans’ training program.  

The Department of Defense released a Cyber Workforce Strategy in March to grow its cybersecurity manpower and avert talent shortages.