(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator, shall establish a graduate-level Homeland
Security Education Program in the National Capital Region to
provide educational opportunities to senior Federal officials
and selected State and local officials with homeland security
and emergency management responsibilities. The Administrator
shall appoint an individual to administer the activities under
this section.
(b) Leveraging of Existing Resources.--To maximize
efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out the Program, the
Administrator shall use existing Department-reviewed Master's
Degree curricula in homeland security, including curricula
pending accreditation, together with associated learning
materials, quality assessment tools, digital libraries,
exercise systems and other educational facilities, including
the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, the National
Fire Academy, and the Emergency Management Institute. The
Administrator may develop additional educational programs, as
appropriate.
(c) Student Enrollment.--
(1) Sources.--The student body of the Program shall
include officials from Federal, State, local, and
tribal governments, and from other sources designated
by the Administrator.
(2) Enrollment priorities and selection criteria.--
The Administrator shall establish policies governing
student enrollment priorities and selection criteria
that are consistent with the mission of the Program.
(3) Diversity.--The Administrator shall take
reasonable steps to ensure that the student body
represents racial, gender, and ethnic diversity.
(d) Service Commitment.--
(1) In general.--Before any employee selected for
the Program may be assigned to participate in the
program, the employee shall agree in writing--
(A) to continue in the service of the
agency sponsoring the employee during the 2-
year period beginning on the date on which the
employee completes the program, unless the
employee is involuntarily separated from the
service of that agency for reasons other than a
reduction in force; and
(B) to pay to the Government the amount of
the additional expenses incurred by the
Government in connection with the employee's
education if the employee is voluntarily
separated from the service to the agency before
the end of the period described in subparagraph
(A).
(2) Payment of expenses.--
(A) Exemption.--An employee who leaves the
service of the sponsoring agency to enter into
the service of another agency in any branch of
the Government shall not be required to make a
payment under paragraph (1)(B), unless the head
of the agency that sponsored the education of
the employee notifies that employee before the
date on which the employee enters the service
of the other agency that payment is required
under that paragraph.
(B) Amount of payment.--If an employee is
required to make a payment under paragraph
(1)(B), the agency that sponsored the education
of the employee shall determine the amount of
the payment, except that such amount may not
exceed the pro rata share of the expenses
incurred for the time remaining in the 2-year
period.
(3) Recovery of payment.--If an employee who is
required to make a payment under this subsection does
not make the payment, a sum equal to the amount of the
expenses incurred by the Government for the education
of that employee is recoverable by the Government from
the employee or his estate by--
(A) setoff against accrued pay,
compensation, amount of retirement credit, or
other amount due the employee from the
Government; or
(B) such other method as is provided by lay
for the recovery of amounts owing to the
Government.