HR 2225 Introduced - NSF for the Future Act
Back in March Rep Johnson (D,TX) introduced HR 2225, the National Science Foundation for the Future Act. This is the annual authorization bill for the NSF. As introduced there was only one mention of cybersecurity in the bill. A markup hearing by the Subcommittee on Research And Technology of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee conducted last month added two amendments addressing cybersecurity workforce issues.
Cybersecurity Focus
The only cybersecurity mention in the original language is found in §9 of the bill. That section establishes the “the Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development solutions to address societal and national challenges for the benefit of all Americans”. Subsection (g) requires the new Directorate to establish up to five focus areas addressing six societal challenges. One of those challenges is cybersecurity.
Workforce Amendments
Rep Meijer (R,MI) proposed an amendment adding a new sub paragraph (C) to §5(c)(2). That section deals with graduate STEM education. Meijer’s amendment would require that the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program under 42 USC 1869 would include consider “students pursuing master’s degrees and doctoral degrees in fields relating to cyber5 security are considered as applicants”.
Rep Gonzalez (R,OH) proposed an amendment adding a new subsection (e) to §5 STEM Education. The amendment would require the NSF to award grants to carry out research on the cyber workforce. The supported research and development efforts would address {new §5(e)(2)}:
Understanding the current state of the cyber workforce, including factors that influence growth, retention, and development of that workforce,
Examining paths to entry and re-entry into the cyber workforce,
Understanding trends of the cyber work18 force, including demographic representation, educational and professional backgrounds present, competencies available, and factors that shape employee recruitment, development, and retention and how to increase the size, diversity, and capability of the cyber workforce,
Examine and evaluate training prac6 tices, models, programs, and technologies, and
Looking at other closely related topics as the Director determines appropriate.
Both amendments were adopted by voice vote. The Committee also adopted ten other amendments, also by voice vote before recommending the bill to the full Committee.
Moving Forward
This is one of the ‘must pass’ bills for this Committee. I expect that they will take up this bill sometime this month. As the action in the Subcommittee shows, there is bipartisan support for this annual authorization bill. I suspect that the bill will move to the floor of the House under the suspension of the rules process where it will pass with significant bipartisan support.