H.R. 4854: Saving the Department of the Interior's Workforce Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, titled the Saving the Department of the Interior's Workforce Act, seeks to establish a moratorium on reductions in force at the Department of the Interior. Here are the key points regarding what the bill proposes:

Moratorium on Reductions in Force

The bill prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from starting or implementing any layoffs or reductions in force at any agencies or bureaus within the Department of the Interior until after the full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 have been legally enacted. Specifically, this means that:

Reduction in force cannot be initiated by the Secretary of the Interior.
No involuntary separations (layoffs) can occur for any employees defined as part of the competitive service, excepted service, or as Senior Executive Service career appointees. The only exceptions to this prohibition are instances of misconduct, delinquency, or poor performance.

Definitions

To clarify the scope of the moratorium, the bill includes definitions for the following terms:

Competitive Service: Positions in the federal government that are subject to the civil service laws.
Excepted Service: Positions in the federal government that are excluded from the competitive service rules.
Career Appointee: A Senior Executive Service employee who has been appointed to a position for an indefinite term based on merit.

Additional Authorities

This moratorium is intended to complement existing authorities concerning adverse personnel actions, which are outlined in other legal frameworks. This means that while this bill places restrictions on layoffs, it does not limit other disciplinary actions that may occur under established law.

Implementation Timeline

The enforcement of this moratorium is tightly linked to the appropriations process, ensuring that reductions in force cannot occur until at least the necessary funding for the Department of the Interior for fiscal year 2026 is established.

Conclusion

In summary, this bill aims to protect the workforce of the Department of the Interior from layoffs and involuntary separations during a critical period of budget appropriation, allowing for greater job security for employees within the department until at least fiscal year 2026 is funded.