This bill institutes a temporary moratorium on workforce reductions across all agencies and bureaus within the Department of the Interior. Its primary purpose is to prevent the Secretary of the Interior from initiating or implementing any reduction in force (RIF) during a specified period. The legislation also prohibits the involuntary separation of employees in the competitive service, career employees in the excepted service, and career appointees in the Senior Executive Service. Such separations would only be permitted for cause, specifically due to misconduct, delinquency, or performance issues. This moratorium will remain in effect until full-year appropriations for the Department of the Interior for fiscal year 2026 have been enacted into law.
Saving the Department of the Interior's Workforce Act
USA119th CongressS-2597| Senate
| Updated: 7/31/2025
This bill institutes a temporary moratorium on workforce reductions across all agencies and bureaus within the Department of the Interior. Its primary purpose is to prevent the Secretary of the Interior from initiating or implementing any reduction in force (RIF) during a specified period. The legislation also prohibits the involuntary separation of employees in the competitive service, career employees in the excepted service, and career appointees in the Senior Executive Service. Such separations would only be permitted for cause, specifically due to misconduct, delinquency, or performance issues. This moratorium will remain in effect until full-year appropriations for the Department of the Interior for fiscal year 2026 have been enacted into law.