Saving NIST’s Workforce Act
The Saving NIST’s Workforce Act would place a temporary moratorium on workforce reductions at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) until the full-year appropriation for FY 2026 is enacted. During this period, NIST may not initiate or implement reductions in force or involuntary separations of most federal employees (competitive service, excepted service, and Senior Executive Service career appointees), except if there is a for-cause basis such as misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency. The moratorium is additive to existing personnel authorities and would terminate once the FY 2026 appropriation is enacted into law. The bill relies on standard federal personnel definitions from title 5 U.S.C. to determine who is protected. In short, the bill aims to shield NIST’s workforce from reductions while federal funding for FY 2026 is resolved, preserving continuity of operations and staffing during that funding process.
Key Points
- 1A temporary reduction-in-force (RIF) moratorium at NIST lasts until FY 2026 full-year appropriations are enacted into law; during this period, NIST may not initiate or implement RIFs.
- 2The moratorium covers involuntary separations of employees in the competitive service, the excepted service, and career appointees in the Senior Executive Service, with an exception only for cause (misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency).
- 3The for-cause exception applies to involuntary separations, meaning separations for misconduct or other serious issues remain possible.
- 4The moratorium is in addition to, not a replacement for, existing adverse personnel-action authorities, including Chapter 75 of title 5 U.S.C.
- 5The bill defines key terms (competitive service, excepted service, career appointee) by cross-referencing sections of title 5 U.S.C. to ensure consistent federal personnel classifications.