What This Bill Does
This bill directs the Secretary of Energy to support building a next-generation cybersecurity workforce focused on energy infrastructure. The bill authorizes providing financial assistance to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who study cybersecurity combined with energy-related fields.
Who It Affects
Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers pursuing cybersecurity and energy infrastructure studies. Institutions of higher education, National Laboratories, utilities, historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges or universities, and minority-serving institutions.
Key Provisions
- The Secretary of Energy must provide competitive financial assistance for scholarships, fellowships, and research and development projects at colleges and universities supporting graduate students and postdoctoral researchers studying cybersecurity within energy infrastructure disciplines (Sec. 2(a)(1)).
- The Secretary must give graduate students and postdoctoral researchers research training experiences at National Laboratories and utilities (Sec. 2(a)(2)).
- The Secretary must conduct outreach to historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges or universities, and minority-serving institutions (Sec. 2(a)(3)).
- The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within one year of the bill becoming law describing how these activities are being implemented (Sec. 2(b)).
What Changes
The federal government establishes a new program providing financial assistance and training opportunities for students and researchers focused on cybersecurity protecting energy infrastructure.
Important Definitions
The bill defines several types of colleges and universities eligible for outreach and participation, references existing definitions from the Higher Education Act of 1965 and Energy Policy Act of 2005, but provides no new standalone definitions in plain language within this bill's text.
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 302
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Energy to provide financial assist-
ance to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers
pursuing certain courses of study relating to cybersecu-
rity and energy infrastructure, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
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HR 302 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Energy Cybersecurity
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University Leadership Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. ENERGY CYBERSECURITY UNIVERSITY LEADER-
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SHIP ACTIVITIES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—In coordination with the activities
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authorized under title VIII of division Z of the Consoli-
7
dated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260),
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the Secretary of Energy shall support the development of
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a next-generation energy-specific cybersecurity workforce
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by—
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(1) providing financial assistance, on a competi-
12
tive basis, for scholarships, fellowships, and research
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and development projects at institutions of higher
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education
to
support
graduate
students
and
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postdoctoral researchers pursuing a course of study
16
that integrates cybersecurity competencies within
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disciplines associated with energy infrastructure
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needs;
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(2)
providing
graduate
students
and
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postdoctoral researchers with research traineeship
21
experiences at National Laboratories and utilities;
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and
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(3) conducting outreach to historically Black
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colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges or Univer-
25
sities, and minority-serving institutions.
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HR 302 RFS
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date
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of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall
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submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
3
nology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
4
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report
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on the implementation of the activities described in sub-
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section (a).
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(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
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(1) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNI-
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VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college and
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university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B
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institution’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education
12
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
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(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The
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term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the
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meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the
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Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
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(3)
MINORITY-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The
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term ‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means an eligi-
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ble institution under section 371(a) of the Higher
20
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
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(4) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Na-
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tional Laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term
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in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
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U.S.C. 15801).
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HR 302 RFS
(5) TRIBAL
COLLEGE
OR
UNIVERSITY.—The
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term ‘‘Tribal College or University’’ has the meaning
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given such term in section 316(b) of the Higher
3
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).
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Passed the House of Representatives February 6,
2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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