Rosen, Budd Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S. Cybersecurity Readiness and Workforce Development

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, and Ted Budd (R-NC) introduced a bill to strengthen the United States' cybersecurity readiness and workforce development nationwide. The Cyber Centers of Excellence Partnership Act would establish a partnership between the Department of Defense and universities designated by the National Security Agency as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity, creating opportunities to share research, best practices, and emerging approaches between the public and private sectors. This program would not only increase collaboration between top research institutions and our specialized military cyber units, but also create direct pathways for qualified students into federal cybersecurity careers.

"As technological advancements become more heavily integrated into modern warfare, it is more important than ever that our nation has the talent and personnel needed to handle looming threats," said Senator Rosen. "This bipartisan bill would ensure that our military and top universities can keep up with every wave of ever-changing cyber threats, while also attracting the country's most talented young minds and bolstering our cyber-ready workforce."

"American military dominance depends on our nation's ability to operate in cyberspace, making it essential to maintain a robust cybersecurity workforce. I'm proud to work across the aisle with Senator Rosen to strengthen the pipeline of cyber talent by establishing programs where students in our nation's NSA-designated Centers of Academic Excellence can get real-world experience conducting critical cyber operations in defense of our homeland," said Senator Budd.

"UNLV's sustained recognition as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) underscores our dedication to cutting-edge research, hands-on training, and real-world defense. The Cyber Center of Excellence Partnership Act introduced by Senator Jacky Rosen and Senator Ted Budd creates a vital bridge between our academic rigor and the Department of Defense's operational missions," said Rama Venkat, Dean of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Engineering. By leveraging existing programs such as our CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) initiative, this legislation will accelerate recruitment, eliminate onboarding barriers for federal service, and empower UNLV students to defend the nation's digital ecosystem."

As the first and only computer programmer to serve in the U.S. Senate, Senator Rosen understands how important cybersecurity is for our national security. In March, she introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to support and expand apprenticeship programs in cybersecurity. Last year, she introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the cybersecurity of the U.S.'s health care system. She also helped introduce bipartisan legislation to protect sensitive federal data from adversarial nations like the People's Republic of China.

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