Loading…
H.R. 8523119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Apr 27, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Public Lands Workforce Stability Act
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 8523 would ban federally funded mass layoffs at the Dept. of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service until Sept. 30, 2030.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 8523 would make it illegal to use federal funds to carry out mass layoffs or forced firings at the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. The prohibition would run from enactment through September 30, 2030. Individual employees could still be fired for misconduct, poor performance, or other legitimate job-related reasons, and any large-scale cuts would require prior approval from the chairs of both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Career federal employees at the two agencies would be most directly shielded by the bill. Americans who use or depend on public lands could also be affected, since staffing levels influence how well these agencies manage wildfires, maintain parks and trails, and carry out other public services.
The Department of the Interior oversees roughly 500 million acres and manages oil, gas, and mineral resources on federal land, while the Forest Service manages about 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. Together the two agencies employ tens of thousands of workers, and large-scale staffing reductions could affect wildfire management, conservation, recreation, and natural resource oversight.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.