HR6429-119

What This Bill Does

The Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act of 2025 expands CISA Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program. Within 180 days, the CISA Director must establish a program to promote cybersecurity careers to disadvantaged communities, including older individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, geographically diverse communities, socioeconomically diverse communities, women, people from nontraditional educational paths, veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals. To promote the program and the cybersecurity workforce, CISA must conduct outreach to educators, unions, chambers of commerce, State and local workforce development offices, private sector entities, community colleges, parents of K-12 students, and other institutions the Director considers appropriate. CISA must tailor the program to the unique needs of each region and sector across the United States. Within one year and annually after, CISA must report to the House Homeland Security Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on program efficacy, impacts on the characteristics of the cyber workforce, and suggestions for Congress. The bill authorizes $20,000,000 for FY2026 and each fiscal year through FY2031 and defines disability, geographic diversity, and nontraditional educational paths.

Who Benefits and How

Disadvantaged and underrepresented people seeking cybersecurity careers benefit from targeted outreach and workforce promotion. Older workers, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, community college students, trade-school graduates, and other nontraditional learners benefit from explicit inclusion. Community colleges, trade schools, educators, unions, chambers of commerce, and workforce offices benefit from CISA outreach partnerships. Cybersecurity employers benefit if the program expands the talent pipeline across regions and sectors.

Who Bears the Burden and How

CISA must establish the program within 180 days, tailor it by region and sector, conduct outreach to many institution types, track workforce effects, and report annually to Congress. State and local workforce offices and education partners may need to coordinate outreach. Federal taxpayers fund the $20,000,000 annual authorization for FY2026 through FY2031. CISA must also define and operationalize categories such as geographic diversity and nontraditional educational path.

Key Provisions

• Requires CISA to establish a cybersecurity workforce outreach program within the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program within 180 days.
• Targets disadvantaged and underrepresented communities, including older individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, women, veterans, formerly incarcerated individuals, and nontraditional learners.
• Requires outreach to educators, unions, chambers of commerce, workforce offices, private-sector entities, community colleges, and parents of K-12 students.
• Requires the program to be tailored to regional and sector needs.
• Requires annual reports to House and Senate homeland security committees on efficacy and workforce impacts.
• Authorizes $20,000,000 annually for FY2026 through FY2031.