Silver Shield Act of 2025

House Bill

H.R. 4502

119th Congress

Silver Shield Act of 2025

In Committee

Introduced:Jul 17, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Michael T. McCaul

Representative

Republican

TX-10

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Summary

The Silver Shield Act of 2025 would change the education requirements for federal government jobs in cybersecurity. It would prohibit federal agencies from requiring specific degrees or credentials for these roles, and instead allow them to consider an applicant's education along with their other qualifications.

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

SponsorMichael T. McCaul (R-TX)

Introduced7/17/2025

StatusReferred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Silver Shield Act of 2025

The Silver Shield Act of 2025 would change the education requirements for federal government jobs in cybersecurity. It would prohibit federal agencies from requiring specific degrees or credentials for these roles, and instead allow them to consider an applica

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The Silver Shield Act of 2025 would change the education requirements for federal government jobs in cybersecurity. It would prohibit federal agencies from requiring specific degrees or credentials for these roles, and instead allow them to consider an applicant's education along with their other qualifications.

Bill Number: 4502
Sponsor: Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)
Introduced: 7/17/2025
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Policy Area: Government Operations and Politics

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Silver Shield Act of 2025
Bill Number: 4502
Sponsor: Michael T. McCaul (R-TX)
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced: 7/17/2025
Summary: The Silver Shield Act of 2025 would change the education requirements for federal government jobs in cybersecurity. It would prohibit federal agencies from requiring specific degrees or credentials for these roles, and instead allow them to consider an applicant's education along with their other qu

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

The Silver Shield Act of 2025 would change the education requirements for federal government jobs in cybersecurity. It would prohibit federal agencies from requiring specific degrees or credentials for these roles, and instead allow them to consider an applicant's education along with their other qualifications.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act This bill modifies educational requirements for cybersecurity positions in the federal government. Specifically, the bill prohibits federal agencies from establishing minimum educational requirements for cybersecurity positions unless such requirements are mandated by law for the position in the state or locality in which the work is to be performed. Agencies may also only consider an applicant's education in conjunction with other minimum qualifications for a position if the applicant's education directly reflects the required competencies for the position. The bill applies to positions in the competitive service that are classified under the Information Technology Management Series or any other position that is designated as a cybersecurity position under the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. The Office of Personnel Management must annually publish on its website (1) any changes to minimum qualifications relating to education for these positions, and (2) data on the level of education of those occupying these positions.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Prohibits federal agencies from setting minimum education requirements for cybersecurity jobs unless required by state or local law
Allows agencies to consider an applicant's education only if it directly reflects the required skills for the position
Requires the Office of Personnel Management to publish data on the education levels of people in these cybersecurity roles

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would affect how the federal government hires and evaluates candidates for cybersecurity jobs. It could open up these roles to more people without traditional cybersecurity degrees, while still requiring relevant skills and experience. This could expand the pool of qualified applicants and increase diversity in the federal cybersecurity workforce.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Related Subjects

Computer security and identity theft

Computers and information technology

Employee hiring

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government information and archives

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

4502, 119th Congress (2025). "Silver Shield Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4502

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