Personnel reforms included in intelligence legislation

The new intelligence reform bill takes significant steps to bolster the nation's homeland security workforce, according to congressional aides and a top public service advocacy organization.

After the bill initially stalled, lawmakers worked through their differences and agreed to one of the most significant reforms in the history of the U.S. intelligence community. The bill was passed by the House Tuesday and approved by the Senate on Wednesday.

In the legislation, Congress expands the FBI's ability to recruit and retain top intelligence analysts. The agency is directed to develop an intelligence career service, and the FBI director is given significant flexibility to establish analyst positions and determine rates of pay.

The newly established director of national intelligence, meanwhile, is granted the power to determine personnel policies and programs "to help the intelligence community collaborate jointly and improve integration," according to a Senate staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity. The director will be required to set financial incentives for some personnel in the intelligence community, at the intelligence agencies, and at the National Counterterrorism Center.

"These reforms signal much needed change in the way government works," said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. "The bill takes strong steps toward strengthening our federal workforce."

One provision of the bill pushes the president to submit national security appointees for security clearance checks as soon as possible after the general election is decided.

"The idea behind this provision is to ensure the national security team has the appropriate level of clearances as soon as possible to begin their new positions upon confirmation," the Senate staff member said.

Lawmakers also sought to boost training and education for national security personnel. Toward this goal, the bill establishes the Intelligence Community Scholarship Program, which is intended to recruit and prepare students for civilian careers in intelligence agencies.

The Partnership for Public Service singled out Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and the committee's ranking member, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., for their work to include personnel reform in the bill.

"I have always said that good people need better tools. Here come the tools to help good people succeed," said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif.

While praising the legislation, Stier said it would not be enough to continue improving the homeland security workforce.

"We need to see a culture change of a different kind across the government, which has for too long left the work of recruiting, developing and retaining talented employees solely to the HR office," Stier said. "As this legislation is implemented, I hope it ushers in a new era of governmentwide commitment to getting and keeping the very best people from top to bottom. As the 9/11 Commission reported, more important than any structure we put in place to protect us from future attacks is the quality of the people on the front lines."