§415 — Title 6 Domestic Security | U.S. Code

§415 Homeland Security Education Program

Title 6 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VIII— - COORDINATION WITH NON-FEDERAL ENTITIES; INSPECTOR GENERAL; UNITED STATES SECRET SERVICE; COAST GUARD; GENERAL PROVISIONS › Part Part E— - Human Resources Management › § 415

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Create a graduate-level Homeland Security Education Program in the National Capital Region to train senior federal officials and selected state and local officials who work in homeland security and emergency management. The Secretary must do this through the Administrator, who will pick someone to run the program. The program will use existing Department-reviewed master’s degree programs and learning tools (including those awaiting accreditation), plus digital libraries, exercises, and training centers such as the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, the National Fire Academy, and the Emergency Management Institute. The Administrator may add other courses if needed. Students will come from federal, state, local, and tribal governments and others the Administrator chooses. The Administrator must set fair rules for who gets in and try to keep the student group racially, gender, and ethnically diverse. Before attending, an employee must sign a written agreement to stay with their sponsoring agency for 2 years after finishing the program (unless the agency removes them for reasons other than a layoff) and to repay extra education costs if they voluntarily leave before those 2 years end. If the employee moves to another federal agency, they normally won’t have to repay unless the sponsoring agency head told them before the move that repayment would be required. The sponsoring agency decides the repayment amount, but it cannot be more than the share that matches the remaining time in the 2-year period. If the employee does not pay, the government can recover the money by withholding pay, benefits, retirement credit, or by other lawful methods from the employee or their estate.

Title 6, §415

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)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)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)(1)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)The Administrator shall establish policies governing student enrollment priorities and selection criteria that are consistent with the mission of the Program.

(3)The Administrator shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the student body represents racial, gender, and ethnic diversity.

(d)(1)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)(A)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)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)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 11 So in original. Probably should be “law”. for the recovery of amounts owing to the Government.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

The reference to the “Administrator” in text probably means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see section 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title.