Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act

This bill establishes a temporary moratorium on reductions in force (RIFs) at the Forest Service, aiming to protect its workforce from involuntary job losses. Under this legislation, the Secretary of Agriculture is prohibited from initiating or implementing any RIF, or from conducting involuntary separations of most employees within the agency. This prohibition specifically applies to employees in the competitive service , career excepted service , and career Senior Executive Service . The moratorium will remain in effect until full-year appropriations for the Forest Service for fiscal year 2026 have been enacted into law. However, involuntary separations are still permitted if they are conducted for cause , such as charges of misconduct, delinquency, or performance issues.