Saving the Department of Energy's Workforce Act

The Saving the Department of Energy's Workforce Act would impose a temporary moratorium on reductions in force (RIF) at the Department of Energy. Until Congress enacts the full-year appropriations for DOE for fiscal year 2026, the Secretary of Energy would be barred from initiating or implementing any RIF, or from involuntarily separating any employee in the competitive service, the career excepted service, or the Senior Executive Service, except for cause (e.g., misconduct, delinquency, or performance problems). The bill ties the moratorium to the budget process and preserves existing personnel action authorities, while adding a specific constraint on layoffs or forced separations. Once the FY2026 appropriations are enacted, the moratorium would lapse. The bill defines the relevant employee categories using standard federal staffing terms and notes that the moratorium operates in addition to other adverse action authorities.