Saving NSF’s Workforce Act

This bill puts a temporary stop on layoffs at the National Science Foundation (NSF). It says NSF cannot carry out a “reduction in force” (a type of layoff process in federal agencies) until Congress passes full, year-long funding for NSF for fiscal year 2026, according to the bill text . Other normal personnel rules still apply under existing federal law; this specific pause only blocks layoffs done through the formal reduction-in-force process .

In plain terms, it aims to keep NSF’s staff stable while the yearly budget is being decided. This can help avoid sudden job cuts that could disrupt research grants and services the agency supports .

• Who is affected: NSF employees and teams that rely on them
• What changes: No reduction-in-force layoffs are allowed during the pause; other personnel actions follow existing rules
• When it applies: From now until full-year NSF funding for fiscal year 2026 becomes law