Labor & Employment (Public Employees) in United States

in committee · United States · House Sep 26, 2025

HR 5599: To prohibit the removal of Federal employees during any lapse in discretionary appropriations, and for other purposes.

This bill prevents federal agencies from terminating employees during a government shutdown caused by a lapse in discretionary funding. It prohibits removals of civil service employees at any agency affected by a funding gap, and if an employee is wrongfully removed, they can return to their job with back pay once funding resumes. The law directly protects all federal employees covered by the civil service system during shutdowns. It applies automatically to any funding lapse, requiring automatic reinstatement without needing separate legal action.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Apr 30, 2025

HR 3093: REHIRE Act

This bill, the REHIRE Act (HR 3093), creates a hiring preference for certain federal employees who were involuntarily separated between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2027. It directly affects career federal employees removed during that period who were not in political positions or separated for misconduct or poor performance. The key provision gives these employees 5 additional points in their hiring rating (under 5 U.S.C. §3309) and deems them "preference eligible" for competitive service positions. The preference expires 5 years after the bill becomes law and does not apply to political appointees, those fired for misconduct, or those with documented poor performance reviews.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 14, 2025

S 1075: MERIT Act

This bill requires federal agencies to reinstate eligible probationary employees who were terminated during mass layoffs (defined as 15+ separations in 30 days) between January 20, 2025, and the bill's enactment. It mandates reinstatement to similar positions with matching benefits (health insurance, retirement, etc.) and back pay covering the period from termination to reinstatement. Employees must accept reinstatement within 30 days, and agencies must process payments within 90 days. The bill also requires agencies to report on mass terminations and reinstatement outcomes to Congress.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · United States · House Aug 1, 2025

HR 4853: Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act

This bill prevents the Forest Service from initiating or implementing layoffs until after full-year funding for fiscal year 2026 is secured. It specifically stops reductions in force and involuntary separations for most Forest Service employees (including competitive service, excepted service, and senior executive roles), except for misconduct, poor performance, or delinquency. The moratorium applies to all personnel actions under the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority until FY2026 appropriations are enacted. This directly affects Forest Service workers and ensures their job stability during the budget process.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate Sep 17, 2025

S 2837: Protect America’s Workforce Act

The Protect America’s Workforce Act (S 2837) directly affects federal employees and their labor unions by reversing two executive orders that limited their collective bargaining rights. It nullifies Executive Orders 14251 and 14343, which had excluded certain federal workers from labor-management programs, and prohibits federal funding for any efforts to implement those orders. The bill ensures that all existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and employee unions remain fully enforceable through their original terms, as long as they were in effect as of March 26, 2025. This preserves current workplace agreements without creating new obligations or altering existing labor-management processes.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 31, 2025

S 2597: Saving the Department of the Interior's Workforce Act

This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior (DOI) from implementing any reduction in force or involuntary employee separations (except for misconduct, delinquency, or performance issues) at any DOI agency or bureau. It applies to most federal employees within the DOI, including competitive service workers, excepted service career employees, and senior executives. The moratorium remains in effect until full-year funding for the DOI's fiscal year 2026 budget is approved by Congress. The bill does not alter existing personnel laws but adds this temporary restriction to prevent workforce reductions during the budget process.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate Apr 9, 2025

SRES 166: A resolution demanding the immediate reinstatement of all veteran Federal employees involuntarily removed or otherwise dismissed without cause since January 20, 2025.

This Senate resolution (SRES 166) demands the immediate reinstatement of veteran federal employees who were dismissed without cause since January 20, 2025. It directly affects veterans employed across the federal government, including those in critical roles like Veterans Crisis Line workers, following mass dismissals announced by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The resolution requires affected employees to be reinstated with full back pay and clear communication about their positions and next steps. As a non-binding Senate resolution, it expresses the chamber’s position but does not create new law.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Public Employees Memorials & Recognition National Guard & Reserve Veteran Employment

in committee · United States · Senate May 7, 2025

S 1650: VA Employee Fairness Act of 2025

S 1650, the VA Employee Fairness Act of 2025, modifies collective bargaining rules for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees. It removes existing subsections (b), (c), and (d) from Section 7422 of Title 38 and redesignates the current subsection (e) as (b). This change directly affects VHA health care workers who negotiate with management over wages, hours, and working conditions. The bill clarifies that these modifications do not impact the Secretary's existing authority over incentive pay and expedited hiring under Section 706 of Title 38.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

in committee · United States · Senate May 15, 2025

S 1794: SNAP Next Step Act of 2025

The SNAP Next Step Act of 2025 modifies the Food and Nutrition Act to connect SNAP (food stamp) recipients with workforce training. It defines "covered individuals" as SNAP households where members are unemployed/underemployed, not receiving TANF benefits, and not enrolled in state "Employment First" programs. States can now use SNAP administrative funds to run job training programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) for these individuals. Additionally, states must create a free online "employment calculator" on their websites to help SNAP participants compare future earnings with current benefits. This bill directly affects low-income SNAP households seeking employment opportunities.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Public Employees Workforce Development

in committee · United States · House Mar 11, 2025

HR 2086: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act

This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to transition its workforce from a special personnel management system to the standard federal personnel system under Title 5 of the U.S. Code by December 31, 2025. It protects TSA employees by ensuring no reduction in pay, benefits, or retirement rights during the transition, while preserving collective bargaining rights for screening agents. The legislation also mandates consultation with labor unions during the process and requires several reports on workforce issues including recruitment, harassment policies, and workplace safety.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards Public Employees

All labor & employment bills