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Congressman Gonzalez Cybersecurity Amendment Added to Fiscal Year 2019 Defense Authorization

May 24, 2018

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez's (TX-15) amendment to H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, passed the House. The amendment urges high schools with U.S. Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) to include cybersecurity education in their coursework.

Specifically, the amendment would require the Secretaries of the Army, Air Force, and Navy to encourage high schools with JROTC programs to incorporate cybersecurity educational programs and awareness into their curricula. This includes lessons on cyber defense, the risks associated with cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the military, and career and educational opportunities in cybersecurity and related fields. The amendment was included in an en bloc amendment that passed the House Tuesday evening. H.R. 5515 passed the House by a vote of 351-66 on Thursday, May 24, 2018.

"The rise of cyber-attacks and cyber terrorism put our country, democracy, our businesses, and even our own social media accounts, at risk," Congressman Gonzalez said. "Our ability to sensibly detect and combat these threats starts in the classroom. When our students have skillsets as innovative as the technology we use, we are better prepared to protect ourselves from attack and develop sound strategies to address them."

High schools that have a JROTC program within the 15th District of Texas are:

· Byron P. Steele High School;

· Edcouch Elsa High School;

· Edinburg North High School;

· Hidalgo High School;

· James Nikki Rowe High School;

· Johnny Economedes High School;

· McAllen Memorial High School;

· McAllen Senior High School;

· Mercedes High School;

· Pharr San Juan High School;

· PSJA Southwest Early College High School;

· Robert Vela High School;

· Seguin High School;

· Valley View High School;

· Weslaco High School.