HR 3026119th CongressIn Committee

Protecting America’s Cybersecurity Act

Introduced: Apr 24, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Protecting America’s Cybersecurity Act would (1) reinstate and provide backpay to any federal employee involuntarily removed from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) during a narrow window in early 2025, (2) curb future reductions or transfers of CISA staff and restrict impounding or reprogramming of CISA funding unless Congress acts, (3) bar employees of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from working at CISA, and (4) generally constrain executive branch actions that affect CISA staffing and resources. In practice, the bill strengthens protections for CISA employees and limits the ability of agencies to reallocate personnel and funds without new congressional action.

Key Points

1Reinstatement with backpay: Any person involuntarily removed from a CISA position between January 25, 2025 and March 1, 2025 can be reinstated to their former job with backpay, per 5 U.S.C. 5596, at the individual’s election.
2Limitations on removals and transfers: No CISA employee may be involuntarily removed or reassigned outside CISA, and no CISA funding can be impounded, transferred, or reprogrammed unless Congress passes a law after enactment authorizing it (or such transfer authority is provided in appropriations acts).
3Exceptions to protections: The reinstatement and funding-transfer limits do not apply to individuals removed from political positions, for misconduct or delinquency, or for those whose most recent performance review before removal was unacceptable or less than fully successful. Political positions are defined to include certain high-level or policy-determining roles.
4Prohibition on DOGE personnel at CISA: No federal funds may be used for the salary or expenses of DOGE employees or DOGE agency personnel who are transferred to, detailed to, or otherwise work at CISA.
5Scope and purpose: The act is titled to emphasize protecting cybersecurity leadership and operations at CISA by limiting personnel and funding disruptions and by excluding DOGE staff from CISA operations.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Federal employees within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and individuals recently removed from CISA; CISA leadership and human resources operations.Secondary group/area affected: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its personnel; agencies involved in staffing transfers or interagency assignments; Congress and the executive branch with respect to budgeting and appropriations decisions.Additional impacts: Budget and resource planning for CISA would become more constrained in terms of reorganizations or reductions without new congressional action; potential legal and administrative challenges around reinstatement processes and backpay; potential restrictions on interagency staffing arrangements and support for cybersecurity operations.

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