Review - HR 6429 Introduced – Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce

Earlier this month, Rep Brown (D,OH) introduced HR 6429, the Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act of 2025. The bill would require CISA to establish, within their current Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (CETAP), a new program to promote the cybersecurity field to disadvantaged communities. It would authorize $20 million per year through 2030 to support the program

HR 6429 is essentially the same as HR 8469, the Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce Act of 2024, that was introduced by Brown in May 2024. No additional actions were taken on that bill in the 118^th Congress.

Moving Forward

While Brown is not a member of the House Homeland Security Committee to which this bill was assigned for consideration, five of her 29 cosponsors {Ranking Member Thompson (D,MS), Rep Goldman (D,NY), Rep Ramirez (D,IL), Rep Johnson (D,TX), Rep Carter (D,LA)} are members. This means that there may be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee, but with the lack of any Republican cosponsor (because this is, after all a diversity program), and adding a new program to CISA’s workforce development slate, means that the legislation will have a hard-time getting enough support form committee republicans to be able to move the program to the floor of the House under the suspension of the rules process.

 

For more details about the provisions of this bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-6429-introduced-diverse-cybersecurity subscription required.

HR 6868 Passed in House – Cybersecurity Education

On Monday, the House took up HR 6868, the Cybersecurity Grants for Schools Act of 2022. The bill was considered under the suspension of the rules process. After very limited debate, with no opposition voiced, a recorded vote was demanded. That vote took place yesterday and the bill passed with a strongly bipartisan vote of 383 to30.

The bill would expand the scope of the existing the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (6 USC 665f) by allowing CETAP grants to go to States, local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and other non-Federal entities for the purposes of funding cybersecurity education or training programs.

Again, this is another bill that will probably not be considered in the Senate due to time constraints.

HR 6868 Introduced – School Cybersecurity Grants

Earlier this week, Rep Garbarino (R,NY) introduced HR 6868, the Cybersecurity Grants for Schools Act of 2022. The bill would amend 6 USC 665f (which established the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program), expanding the scope of entities that could receive grants under the CETAP grant program.

The bill would add a new subsection (e) to §665f that would allow CETAP grants to go to States, local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and other non-Federal entities for the purposes of funding cybersecurity education or training programs.

As I noted on Monday, this bill will be marked up tomorrow by the House Homeland Security Committee. No amendments to this bill are currently listed on the Hearing web site. I expect that this bill will be adopted by the Committee, probably by a voice vote. The bill will move to the full House later this year.