House committee passes Mace bill to get more federal cybersecurity experts hired

The U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee on July 12 marked up a bipartisan bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) that would eliminate degree barriers for federal cybersecurity jobs and voted 40-0 to pass the bill, which now heads to the full chamber for action.

“Today, a brilliant computer whiz who drops out of Harvard after a year or two as Bill Gates did would stand little chance of securing a federal cybersecurity job,” Rep. Mace said. “We often hear from the other side of the aisle that the federal government should be a ‘model employer’ and the elimination of unnecessary degree barriers ensures the federal government is such an employer.”

The Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts (MACE) Act, H.R. 4502, which Rep. Mace sponsored on July 10 alongside lead original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), aims to foster a more diverse and competitive federal cybersecurity workforce, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

H.R. 4502 also would mandate that the Office of Personnel Management publish annual progress reports on the reform of education-based qualifications and the formal education levels of new hires in cyber-related positions, the summary says.

“Government employees should be the best in the business, especially when it comes to our nation’s cybersecurity,” said Rep. Porter. “Prospective employees who prove their qualifications and competency shouldn’t be disqualified from a federal job on the basis of one type of educational credential. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Mace on this bipartisan bill to strengthen our federal workforce and protect our cyber infrastructure.”