Bills · S 2596
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 2596Government Operations and Politics
Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act
INTRO JUL 31· LAST ACTION JUL 31
READING
1MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
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- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill matters because it directly addresses job security for thousands of federal employees who manage our national forests, fight wildfires, and maintain public lands. If it becomes law, it would prevent the Forest Service from undergoing significant layoffs for a period, ensuring that critical staffing levels remain stable while the agency's budget for the next fiscal year is being finalized.
Without this bill, the Forest Service could potentially implement layoffs or reduce its workforce before its long-term funding is secured, which might lead to a loss of experienced personnel. This could impact the agency's ability to carry out its missions, such as responding to increasingly severe wildfire seasons, managing natural resources, and providing public access to recreational areas. Voters might care about this if they believe a stable Forest Service workforce is crucial for effective land management and public safety.
KEY PROVISIONS
4AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Institutes a temporary halt on reductions in force (RIFs) at the Forest Service.
This prevents the agency from laying off groups of employees due to budget or organizational changes for a specific period.
PROVISION 02
Prohibits involuntary separation of most career Forest Service employees.
This provides job security for a broad range of federal workers, protecting them from being fired without cause.
PROVISION 03
Allows employees to still be separated for specific reasons like misconduct, delinquency, or poor performance.
This ensures that accountability for individual employee actions and performance is maintained even with the moratorium in place.
PROVISION 04
The moratorium lasts until full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are enacted into law.
This sets a clear, temporary end point for the protections, tying them to the finalization of the agency's budget.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 1
D· New Mexico
YRS IN OFFICE
17
BILLS LED
58
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 1 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSJUL 31
Introduced in Senate
JUL 31
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Bill
NumberS 2596
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJul 31, 2025
Last actionJul 31, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JUL 31, 2025
Senate BillS 2596Government Operations and Politics
Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act
INTRODUCED JUL 31, 2025· LAST ACTION JUL 31, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
1 min
COSPONSORS
1
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
