Nancy Mace Champions Cybersecurity Reform, Puts Skills Ahead Of Degrees
Mace Targets Outdated Barriers, Puts Cyber Expertise Ahead of Credentials
(Washington, D.C., August 21, 2025) - Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01), Chair of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, introduced the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act, a bipartisan bill to eliminate unnecessary degree barriers and ensure federal agencies can hire the skilled cybersecurity professionals our country needs.
Co-led by Ranking Member Shontel Brown (OH-11), the bill prioritizes skills-based hiring over outdated educational requirements, opening the door to a broader pool of qualified applicants and helping agencies meet the nation’s urgent cybersecurity challenges.
“As cyber threats against our government continue to grow, we need to make sure our federal agencies hire the most qualified candidates, not just those with traditional degrees,” said Congresswoman Mace. “This bill cuts red tape, opens doors to skilled Americans without a four-year diploma but with the expertise to get the job done, and strengthens our nation’s cybersecurity workforce."
The legislation follows President Trump’s June executive order, “Sustaining Select Efforts to Strengthen the Nation’s Cybersecurity and Amending Executive Orders 13694 and 14144,” which advanced initiatives on software security, AI risks, and post-quantum encryption. The Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act builds on this momentum, enabling agencies to hire skilled professionals while advancing President Trump’s mission to strengthen defenses and modernize government.
Congresswoman Shontel Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, added the following statement:
“It is imperative that we expand the cybersecurity workforce to meet our nation’s growing need for safe and secure systems. I’m proud to co-lead the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act with Subcommittee Chair Mace, legislation to remove outdated hiring policies, expand workforce opportunities to a wider pool of talented applicants, and help agencies hire the staff that they need,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.
The legislation requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to publish, on an annual basis, any updates to minimum qualification standards for cybersecurity positions and aggregate data on the educational backgrounds of new hires. Covered positions include the GS–2210 Information Technology Management series as well as other cybersecurity roles identified within the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework.
This bill builds upon Congresswoman Mace’s H.R. 4502, the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act, introduced during the 118th Congress, underscoring a continued bipartisan effort to enhance the capabilities of the federal cybersecurity workforce.
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