A pair of senators has reintroduced a bill aimed at strengthening the federal cyber security workforce by enabling the temporary rotation of professionals among agencies.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Photo: U.S. Senate.

The Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act was first introduced in the Senate last fall. The bill allows for cyber security professionals at federal agencies to rotate among agencies on a temporary basis to gain experience outside their home agencies.

“These rotations allow federal cyber professionals to develop multiagency and policy expertise on cyber threats and expand their professional networks,” said a press release from Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), the ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. The two were joined by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the committee, and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) as original co-sponsors.

“Federal agencies face many challenges in recruiting and maintaining a skilled IT workforce,” Johnson said in a statement. “As a result, our committee must focus on the federal cyber talent gap. This bill helps make federal cyber security jobs more attractive for both current federal employees and future job-seekers.”