Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens research capacity and creates stable jobs in U.S. tropical and island forestry institutes—benefiting territorial communities and environmental resilience—at the cost of additional federal spending and reduced budgetary flexibility that could require shifting resources from other programs.
Scientists, technical staff, and research personnel in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Pacific Islands will gain stable employment because the bill guarantees minimum staffing levels (50 positions in Puerto Rico, 30 in the Pacific Islands).
Rural communities and residents of U.S. territories will see improved capacity to study, demonstrate, and respond to tropical and island forestry challenges (e.g., invasive species, climate impacts) because both institutes are provided 'adequate resources' and strengthened staffing for research, demonstration, and knowledge exchange.
U.S. taxpayers may face higher federal spending because the bill requires funding to hire staff and supply resources for the new institute minimums.
Rural communities and research programs could lose funding or face delays if existing USDA resources must be reallocated to meet the new staffing and resource mandates for these institutes.
Federal administrators will have less flexibility because mandated minimum staffing levels restrict the Secretary's ability to reallocate personnel or funds in response to changing needs or budget constraints.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Secretary to ensure the Puerto Rico Institute has at least 50 staff and the Pacific Islands Institute at least 30 staff and adequate resources to carry out their tropical forestry work.
Introduced February 11, 2026 by Mazie Hirono · Last progress February 11, 2026
Requires the USDA to reorganize the statute governing the Institutes of Tropical Forestry and to staff and resource two regional institutes at minimum levels: at least 50 staff for the Institute of Tropical Forestry in Puerto Rico and at least 30 staff for the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, plus adequate resources to carry out their research, demonstration, and knowledge-exchange activities. The change preserves existing research topic areas while adding explicit staffing minimums and an affirmative obligation to provide sufficient resources.