Congress·In Committee·H.R. 8523

Public Lands Workforce Stability Act

Job Protections for Public Lands Workers

Apr 27·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committee

This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is currently sitting with the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Agriculture. Since April 26, 2026, no further action has been taken by these committees. It is common for bills to stall at this stage without receiving a committee vote.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

This bill was introduced by members of the minority party and faces a difficult path without support from the party in power. It is common for such bills to stay in committee.

Key Points

This bill prevents the government from laying off most employees at the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service. It aims to keep these agencies fully staffed so they can continue managing national parks and public forests.
The job protections would stay in place until September 2030. Agencies would be banned from cutting their workforce or forcing career employees out of their positions without getting special permission from Congress first.
While the bill stops mass layoffs, it does not protect workers who break the rules. Employees can still be fired for misconduct, poor performance, or other legal causes.
This move is designed to provide stability for thousands of workers who maintain public lands and fight wildfires. Supporters believe keeping these experienced workers is necessary for protecting the environment and serving the public.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 27, 2026House

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Apr 27, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Public Lands Workforce Stability Act

Bill NumberHR 8523

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(3)

D: 3

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.