President Obama's Last Bill Codifies Presidential Innovation Fellows Program

In one of his last official acts as commander in chief, President Barack Obama signed a law Jan 20 codifying his Presidential Innovation Fellows Program. The program offers top tech talent opportunities to serve in the executive branch. President Obama created the fellowship in 2012, with the bill enshrining it into law the last he signed as president.

The fellowship was popular among both Republicans and Democrats. The bill, called the Tested Ability to Leverage Exceptional National Talent Act of 2017, sailed through the House and Senate with little opposition. The program’s continuity will likely be a boon for President-elect Donald Trump, who was notably unpopular in Silicon Valley throughout the campaign but has since extended an olive branch to the tech industry.