Saving NOAA’s Workforce Act

Saving NOAA’s Workforce Act would temporarily block NOAA from carrying out any reduction in force (RIF) actions while full-year appropriations for NOAA for fiscal year 2026 are being enacted. In practical terms, if the bill became law, NOAA could not lay off employees under the standard RIF procedures specified in 5 U.S.C. 3501-3504 and 3595 during that funding process. The moratorium is intended to protect NOAA’s workforce during the budget and appropriations cycle, and it would operate in addition to other personnel-action authorities (such as Chapter 75 adverse actions) that agencies may use. The constraint ends once the FY2026 NOAA appropriations are enacted into law.