Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act of 2025
The Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act of 2025 would bar hiring freezes and workforce reductions for the workforce at public shipyards, and for any other positions at a public shipyard not specifically carved out, whenever those reductions would be tied to spending cuts, reprogramming of funds, or the probationary status of employees. In effect, the bill obligates the government to maintain staffing levels in a broad list of critical shipyard roles and related positions, even if the broader agency faces budgetary constraints. It also clarifies that the Secretary of Defense can still manage personnel for misconduct or poor performance under existing procedures. The bill is aimed at preserving the readiness and capacity of public naval shipyards and their modernization efforts, including those tied to the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program.
Key Points
- 1Prohibition on reductions or hiring freezes: Workforce at public shipyards, and any other positions at a public shipyard not listed in the defined category, are exempt from reductions tied to spending cuts, reprogramming of funds, or probationary status.
- 2Defined scope of included positions: The bill specifies a broad set of roles as part of the “workforce at public shipyards,” including welders, pipefitters, shipfitters, radiological technicians and engineers, engineers and engineering technicians, apprentices, and various support roles (workforce development, nuclear maintenance/refueling, mechanics, painters and blasters, and infrastructure maintenance/operations), plus positions supporting the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program.
- 3Broad applicability to all public shipyard personnel: The exemption covers both the enumerated categories and any other positions at a public shipyard not listed in the defined subsection, effectively protecting the entire public shipyard workforce from these budget-driven reductions.
- 4Construction clause for existing DoD authority: Nothing in the act limits the Secretary of Defense’s authority to manage the workforce for misconduct or poor performance under current procedures.
- 5Policy purpose: The bill seeks to preserve staffing essential for maintenance, modernization, and readiness of public naval shipyards, including investments in modernization programs.