Keep USGS Strong Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4791
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-29: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-06T14:27:56Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation, titled the "Keep USGS Strong Act," seeks to protect the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from certain executive branch restrictions on hiring, workforce reductions, and property leases. It emphasizes the agency's role in providing scientific data on natural resources, hazards, and environmental monitoring.
Key Provisions
- Exempts the USGS from the Presidential Memorandum on Hiring Freeze issued January 20, 2025, and any extensions.
- Prohibits reductions in force or significant employee reductions for USGS if Congress has appropriated funds for salaries and expenses.
- Prevents cancellation of USGS real property leases without approval from the USGS Director.
- Includes extensive congressional findings detailing USGS contributions to earthquake monitoring, water quality, mapping, ecosystem health, and public safety.
Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill creates targeted exemptions for USGS from standard federal hiring freeze policies and workforce reduction procedures that would otherwise apply under executive authority. It also adds a requirement for Director-level approval on lease cancellations, altering typical administrative flexibility in property management.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: Shields USGS operations and staffing levels from broader executive workforce controls, potentially maintaining continuity in scientific programs.
- Citizens: Supports ongoing access to USGS data on earthquakes, water resources, and natural hazards, which informs public safety and resource management.
- International relations: No direct provisions affect international matters, though USGS data often supports cross-border environmental monitoring.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- USGS employees and leadership.
- Congress (through its appropriations role).
- Federal, state, and local agencies, researchers, and the public that rely on USGS data for planning and decision-making.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The bill asserts congressional authority over executive actions by exempting a specific agency from a presidential memorandum and certain workforce policies. This represents a legislative override of executive branch directives in the area of federal employment and agency management.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1], Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10], Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-29: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- 2025-07-29: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-29: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Keep USGS Strong Act — issued 2025-07-29 — PDF (5 pages)