House committee approves executive exchange bill

The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would set up exchange programs allowing executives to move for training between the federal government and private industry.

The bill (H.R. 3925) is designed to help meet a threatened shortage of information technology officials in the federal government. The government is expected to lose more than half of its information technology workforce to retirement by 2006.

The committee sent the bill to the House on a voice vote after adopting two amendments.

One by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Tex., requires workers on loan to the government would not have to lose their private pay and benefits.

Another, by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., on behalf of Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., would prohibit private workers on loan to the government from revealing confidential information after leaving their federal jobs. His amendment replaced language in the bill prohibiting workers from disclosing information within three years of leaving government service.