Keep USGS Strong Act
USGS: Protection from Hiring Freezes and Layoffs
This bill was recently introduced and sent to the House Committee on Natural Resources for review. It is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is not yet scheduled for a vote. The bill is considered active as it waits for the committee to take the next steps.
Legislative Progress
This bill specifically tries to block a memo issued by the White House. Without support from the party in power, it is very unlikely to move forward.
Key Points
- This bill would stop the government from freezing new hires at the United States Geological Survey. This ensures the agency can keep hiring the scientists and staff needed to monitor natural disasters and water safety.
- It prevents the agency from laying off workers if Congress has already provided the money for their salaries. This protects current employees from staff reductions that might happen across other parts of the government.
- The agency would also get more control over its buildings and land. The government could not cancel leases for the agency's offices or research sites unless the Director of the agency agrees to it.
- Supporters say this is necessary because the agency provides critical data on earthquakes, floods, and the Great Lakes. They argue that losing staff would make it harder to warn the public about natural hazards or track clean drinking water.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Keep USGS Strong Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.