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.

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.

The student body of the Program shall include officials from Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, and from other sources designated by the Administrator.

(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.

Before any employee selected for the Program may be assigned to participate in the program, the employee shall agree in writing—

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).

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.

(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.

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 [1] for the recovery of amounts owing to the Government.

(Pub. L. 107–296, title VIII, § 845, as added Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 623(a), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1418.)