Bill · S. 2596· Senate(119-S-2596)
Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act
- Introduced
- 7/31/2025
- Last activity
- 7/31/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Martin Heinrich
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act," aims to stop job cuts at the Forest Service. It creates a moratorium on any reductions in force or involuntary separations for certain employees. This restriction stays in place until full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are passed into law. The rules apply to employees in the competitive service, the excepted service, and the Senior Executive Service.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would union members be better off under this?+2
The bill provides strong job security and protects workers from involuntary separation except for cause.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+1
The bill provides job security for federal employees which protects their household income.
Does this invest in rural communities?+1
Protecting Forest Service jobs helps maintain the workforce responsible for managing public lands often located in rural areas.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
By preventing job cuts and separations, the bill may prevent the government from realizing potential savings from a reduced workforce.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Job Security for Forest Service Staff: The bill prevents the Secretary of Agriculture from initiating or implementing a reduction in force (Section 2(a)(1)). This protects employees from losing their jobs due to budget or organizational changes before the 2026 fiscal year appropriations are set.
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Protection Against Involuntary Separation: The bill prohibits the involuntary separation of competitive service employees, career employees in the excepted service, and career appointees in the Senior Executive Service, unless it is due to misconduct, delinquency, or performance (Section 2(a)(2)). This ensures that workers cannot be let go for reasons other than their own conduct or work quality.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+2Good For Middle Class Households+1
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+1
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+1Reduces Government Spending-1
- 7/31/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota