Bill sets minimum staffing floors for two Forest Service labs
In committeeH.R. 7518Latest action
Sponsor: Jill N. Tokuda · Representative · HI
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Official title: To amend the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 to ensure adequate staffing and resources for the Institute of Tropical Forestry and the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry.
119th Congress
Topics: Jobs & the economy
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
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HR 7518 would set minimum staff levels at two Forest Service research institutes: 50 in Puerto Rico, 30 in Hawaii.
50-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
This bill would require the federal government to keep at least 50 employees at the Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico and at least 30 at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry in Hawaii. It would also require both locations to have enough resources to carry out research, demonstration projects, and sharing of forestry knowledge. Right now, no such minimums exist in law.
Who does it affect?
This bill affects the U.S. Forest Service and the Secretary of Agriculture, who would be legally required to meet the new staffing floors. Scientists, land managers, and communities in Puerto Rico and the Pacific Islands who rely on these institutes would also be affected.
Why does it matter?
Without minimum staffing requirements, these institutes could be reduced in size, which could limit the research and expertise available to people in those regions. This bill would set a legal floor that the government must stay at or above.
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Where does it stand?
- IntroducedFeb 11, 2026
- House committeeYou are here · Mar 20, 2026
- House vote
- Senate
- The president's desk
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 Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.