The Senate bill also would: make permanent the "voluntary RIF" authority at DoD that allows employees who would not be displaced in layoffs to volunteer to leave and get most of the benefits accruing to those involuntarily separated; extend the waiver of the pay cap for federal employees serving in areas under the U.S. Central Command’s authority—primarily, Iraq and Afghanistan—and add new life insurance options for such employees; authorize "direct hire" into certain DoD health care professional positions; and clarify the streamlined hiring authorities under DoD’s national security personnel system.