Saving NIST’s Workforce Act

This bill puts a temporary stop to layoffs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that would happen through a formal “reduction in force.” The pause lasts until Congress passes full-year funding for NIST for fiscal year 2026. During this time, NIST cannot use federal layoff rules to cut staff. Other types of personnel actions, like discipline for cause, are not changed by this bill .

• Who is affected: NIST employees and the communities around NIST.
• What changes: A pause on layoffs done through reduction-in-force procedures.
• When it applies: From enactment until full-year 2026 NIST funding becomes law .