This bill would preserve the Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) program, which the White House established in 2012 to attract talented tech workers to various government departments.
Over the past four years, the program has produced almost 100 fellows drawn from tech companies like Google and Shutterstock, as well as media outlets like the New York Times. Many fellows have continued their work in government as chief technology officers or policy advisers in local, state and federal agencies.
In 2015, President Obama issued an executive order to make the PIF program a permanent feature in future administrations. But executive orders can be overturned by new presidents.