PCS for HB 1081 (2026): An act relating to cybersecurity internships
Summary
PCS for HB 1081 (2026), a bill to be entitled “An act relating to cybersecurity internships.” The title lists, subject to legislative appropriation, creating the Cybersecurity Experiential Internship and Clearance Readiness Program within the Department of Commerce, and requiring the department to enter into an agreement with the Florida Center for Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida) to implement the program. The text provides for CompTIA Security+ certification training and examination for selected participants and states that the section expires January 1, 2032. Section 2 states that the act takes effect July 1, 2026.
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“PCS for HB 1081 (2026): An act relating to cybersecurity internships.”
Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2026-3291-careers-workforce-subcommittee-proposed-committee-bills-pcbs-f7d5a7092f/
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
PCS for HB 1081 2026
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to cybersecurity internships; creating
3 s. 1004.0983, F.S.; providing legislative findings;
4 providing legislative intent; subject to legislative
5 appropriation, creating the Cybersecurity Experiential
6 Internship and Clearance Readiness Program within the
7 Department of Commerce; requiring the department to
8 enter into an agreement with the Florida Center for
9 Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida) to implement the program
10 in collaboration with specified universities and
11 institutions; requiring that the program include
12 specified components; requiring that the program be
13 available at specified universities and institutions
14 beginning in a specified academic year; requiring the
15 department, using data and analyses provided by Cyber
16 Florida, to submit a report by a specified date and
17 annually thereafter to the Governor and the
18 Legislature; providing requirements for the report;
19 providing for expiration of the program; providing an
20 effective date.
21
22 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
23
24 Section 1. Section 1004.0983, Florida Statutes, is created
25 to read:
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PCS for HB 1081 2026
26 1004.0983 Cybersecurity Experiential Internship and
27 Clearance Readiness Program.—
28 (1)(a) The Legislature finds that this state's
29 cybersecurity workforce is essential to state and national
30 security, multi-sector state economic resilience, and the
31 protection of critical infrastructure. The Legislature also
32 finds that this state has a persistent shortfall in its supply
33 of qualified cybersecurity professionals relative to the
34 workforce demand and that the growing integration of digital
35 technologies in all economic sectors will exacerbate this
36 workforce gap in the future.
37 (b) The Legislature further finds that the elements of the
38 program described in this section were successfully tested and
39 refined in two pilot programs: an experiential cyber internship
40 program with the University of South Florida and a combined
41 security clearance readiness and cyber certification program
42 with the University of West Florida. Both schools are designated
43 as National Security Agency National Centers of Academic
44 Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C). The successful pilot
45 programs demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of
46 combining cybersecurity experiential internships, federal
47 security clearance readiness preparation, and CompTIA Security+
48 certification for students as critical elements of workforce
49 development.
50 (c) The Legislature further finds that expansion of this
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51 program statewide to all NCAE-C-designated state universities
52 and Florida College System institutions will accelerate the
53 development of a highly qualified, clearance-ready cybersecurity
54 workforce. This expanded capacity to develop a more qualified
55 cybersecurity workforce is necessary to both close existing gaps
56 and keep pace with the growth in demand for cybersecurity talent
57 within this state.
58 (2)(a) The Legislature intends to establish the
59 Cybersecurity Experiential Internship and Clearance Readiness
60 Program across all NCAE-C-designated state universities and
61 Florida College System institutions, beginning with the 2026-
62 2027 academic year.
63 (b) The Legislature further intends to sustain the program
64 through the 2030-2031 academic year and establish clear metrics
65 and reporting requirements to measure the impact on this state's
66 workforce and national security posture.
67 (3) Subject to appropriation, the Cybersecurity
68 Experiential Internship and Clearance Readiness Program is
69 created within the Department of Commerce. The department shall
70 enter into an agreement with the Florida Center for
71 Cybersecurity (Cyber Florida) at the University of South
72 Florida, to implement the program in collaboration with all
73 NCAE-C-designated state universities and Florida College System
74 institutions.
75 (4) The program shall include all of the following
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76 components:
77 (a) Increasing the number of experiential cyber risk
78 analyst internships statewide by using an instrumented platform
79 of automated assessments with employers based in this state in
80 the defense, finance, health care, transportation, utility, and
81 critical infrastructure sectors.
82 (b) Providing intern-supporting organizations with
83 actionable, prioritized analytics, reporting, and risk
84 mitigation action plans to enhance cyber resilience across this
85 state.
86 (c) Delivering a federal security clearance readiness
87 curriculum, including comprehensive background checks
88 preparation, national security information and protection
89 training, clearance application preparation and vetting, and
90 mentoring for selected participants.
91 (d) Providing CompTIA Security+ certification training and
92 examination for selected participants.
93 (e) Coordinating with state, federal, and private sector
94 partners to facilitate placement of graduates in high-demand
95 cybersecurity roles.
96 (f) Providing access to datasets for statewide cyber
97 assessments, research, and development.
98 (5) Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, the program
99 must be available at all currently NCAE-C-designated state
100 universities and Florida College System institutions.
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101 (6)(a) Beginning January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter
102 through January 1, 2032, the department, using data and analyses
103 provided by Cyber Florida as required by the agreement under
104 subsection (3), shall submit a report to the Governor, the
105 President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
106 Representatives.
107 (b) The report must include all of the following:
108 1. The number of students participating in internships,
109 clearance readiness preparation, and CompTIA Security+
110 certification programs at each institution.
111 2. The number of students who have earned CompTIA
112 Security+ certification and the number of students who have
113 completed internship and clearance readiness milestones.
114 3. The number of students who subsequently reported
115 entering federal, state, or private sector cybersecurity
116 positions requiring a federal public trust or national security
117 clearance, and any available data on those positions.
118 4. Recommendations for program improvements, including
119 potential integration with other state workforce initiatives.
120 (7) This section expires January 1, 2032.
121 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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