(a) Rejoining the DHS-CS. To facilitate future service in the DHS-CS by former DHS-CS employees, the Department aims to:

1. (1) Maintain communication with former DHS-CS employees to understand their interest in future service in the DHS-CS;
2. (2) Provide opportunities for former DHS-CS employees to be considered for appointment again to qualified positions; and
3. (3) Acknowledge former DHS-CS employees' enhancements to qualifications while outside the DHS-CS.

(b) Rehiring. Except as provided in paragraphs (c) through (e) of this section, to be appointed again to a qualified position a former DHS-CS employee must:

1. (1) Participate again in the assessment program described in § 158.520 for the Department to determine the former DHS-CS employee's current CTMS qualifications; and
2. (2) Meet employment eligibility and accept and satisfy applicable employment-related criteria as described in § 158.521.

(c) Reassessment. A former DHS-CS employee whose most recent appointment to a qualified position was a renewable appointment or a continuing appointment must participate again in the assessment program described in § 158.520 unless the Department determines otherwise based on factors relevant to the former DHS-CS employee, such as:

1. (1) Time elapsed since the former DHS-CS employee's most recent appointment to a qualified position under this part;
2. (2) Similarity of cybersecurity work performed by the former DHS-CS employee since that individual's most recent appointment to a qualified position under this part; or
3. (3) Similarity of the former DHS-CS employee's CTMS qualifications during the former employee's most recent appointment under this part to the CTMS qualifications of a newly identified assignment under the deployment program in § 158.701.