Sponsors (2)
The bill protects Forest Service R&D jobs and continuity of long-term research by requiring Congressional approval for facility closures, at the cost of reducing agency flexibility, raising the risk of politicized decisions, and potentially increasing fiscal costs for taxpayers.
Researchers and Forest Service staff will keep operations at all current R&D facilities unless Congress later approves closures, protecting jobs and avoiding immediate workforce disruption.
Residents and businesses in nearby rural communities will retain local economic activity and services tied to Forest Service R&D sites, supporting jobs and local revenues.
Scientists and state governments will see continuity of long-term environmental and forestry research projects, because abrupt administrative reorganizations that could disrupt studies are prevented.
State and local governments and agency managers will face decisions moved to Congress, increasing the risk that facility operations and closure choices become politicized and slower to resolve.
Taxpayers and the Department of Agriculture will have reduced ability to reorganize or close underused R&D facilities, potentially keeping inefficient or redundant sites open and lowering management efficiency.
Taxpayers will potentially face higher federal spending to maintain marginal facilities if Congress does not authorize rationalizations, increasing fiscal costs.
Based on analysis of 1 section of legislative text.
Bars the USDA Secretary from administratively closing any Forest Service research and development facility; closures require a later, specific act of Congress.
Official title: To prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from closing any research and development facility of the Forest Service.
Introduced June 25, 2026 by Maggie Goodlander · Last progress June 25, 2026
Prevents the Secretary of Agriculture from closing any Forest Service research and development facility by administrative action or reorganization plan. Any closure of a Forest Service R&D facility would require a new, specific act of Congress passed after this law is enacted to authorize that closure. The provision applies to all Forest Service R&D facilities and creates a statutory bar on agency-initiated closures absent subsequent congressional authorization, effectively freezing administrative closure authority for those facilities until Congress permits otherwise.