H.R. 6631 — Establishing Cyber Security Educational Programs at Academic Institutions Act

This section establishes a program under which the Secretary of Defense collaborates with academic institutions to develop cybersecurity educational programs, including by establishing curriculum standards, competencies, community outreach, best practices integration, and solutions to cyber education challenges. In implementing the program, the Secretary must (1) consult with the Directors of the National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and National Science Foundation, as well as other federal agencies, private sector entities, and organizations as needed; (2) manage instructional opportunities identified in a prior report under section 1649 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020; and (3) designate qualifying academic institutions in one or more areas of cyber defense, cyber operations, or cyber research based on criteria including alignment with the Defense Cyber Workforce Framework or NIST Special Publication 800-181 Revision 5 (or successors), community outreach, leadership in workforce development, cyber best practices, regional accreditation by a Department of Education-recognized agency, and collaboration. The section further directs the Secretary, in collaboration with specified directors, to identify metrics assessing program efficacy and benefits relative to costs and to submit annual reports to Congress on such matters beginning one year after enactment; includes a rule of construction preserving other federal authorities and prohibiting additional appropriations; and defines "academic institution" as a U.S. institution of higher education (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 1002) that conducts Department of Defense-sponsored research or a senior military college (as defined in 10 U.S.C. 2111a(f)).