The Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee last week approved the Federal Supervisor Training Act of 2010 requiring agencies to provide enhanced training to federal supervisors.  The bill had been introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) in March of last year, but had stalled.  The Senate committee’s action last week came after a group of House members (see Highlights June 18, 2010) introduced a similar bill earlier this month.  According to a statement by Sen. Akaka, “improving federal supervisor training will make the federal government more efficient and effective.”  He cautioned that with the prospective retirement of a significant portion of the federal workforce, “we must invest in developing a new generation of effective supervisors.”  Both bills would require training for managers within one year after promotion, follow-on training at least once every three years, and would establish mentor programs to encourage new supervisors to learn from more experienced managers.  Supporters of the bill in the House and the Senate are encouraged by this new-found momentum in Congress for the bill and hope that a commitment by the administration will carry it forward to passage.  However, no schedule for floor action has been set.