Cyber Scholarship Opportunities Act of 2017
This bill amends the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 to require at least 5% of scholarships that the National Science Foundation (NSF) coordinates with the Department of Homeland Security under the federal cyber scholarship-for-service program to be provided to students who are pursuing an associate's degree in a cybersecurity field without the intent of transferring to a bachelor's degree program and who either have a bachelor's degree already or are veterans of the Armed Forces.
The post-award employment obligations of scholarship recipients pursuing a doctoral or master's degree may include work at an institution of higher education or for a local educational agency teaching cybersecurity skills.
Scholarship eligibility factors are revised to include: (1) an individual's skills and abilities under the National Institute of Standards and Technology's national cybersecurity awareness and education program, and (2) students pursuing a degree on a less than full-time but not less than half-time basis.
The NSF must work with the Office of Personnel Management to: (1) consolidate information about cyber scholarships programs and job opportunities into a single online resource center; and (2) work with state, local, and tribal agencies to advertise cybersecurity positions to recipients.
The NSF may carry out a program to improve cybersecurity education at the K-12 level.
The NSF may: (1) grant exceptions from the post-award employment obligations to students who agree to work in a critical infrastructure mission at a federal government corporation or a state, local, or tribal government-affiliated component of a critical infrastructure sector; or (2) develop a pilot program to enhance critical infrastructure protection training for students pursuing careers in cybersecurity.
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-05 | Calendars | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 440. | Senate |
| 2018-06-05 | Committee | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-263. | Senate |
| 2017-08-02 | Committee | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. | Senate |
| 2017-03-28 | IntroReferral | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2049) | Senate |
| 2017-03-28 | IntroReferral | Introduced in Senate | Library of Congress |