This bill would let several federal land agencies take new steps to provide housing and workforce support for their field employees. It adds protections and new authorities for the National Park Service to prioritize and build quarters for field employees, including acquiring up to 20 acres near park units for employee housing. The bill clarifies that the Park Service can use rental receipts and certain special fund money to develop and maintain employee housing, and it expands rental and management options. For the Forest Service, the bill allows longer permits or leases (up to 50 years) for workforce housing and changes some rules for selling or transferring administrative sites.
The bill also encourages partnerships with States, Tribes, local governments, and philanthropic organizations for housing projects and cooperative management agreements. It updates rules to allow co-location of offices, reimbursable services, and employee assignments between partners. The bill creates temporary hiring flexibilities that let the Interior and Agriculture Departments directly appoint qualified local residents to certain lower-grade positions and changes rehire rules for seasonal Park Service employees. It requires studies and reports: a joint housing needs assessment within 18 months, a Comptroller General review of OMB and agency guidance on housing, and administrative follow-up. It also requires reporting when the Department of Agriculture provides emergency subsistence to employees.
No publicly available information on estimated budget costs or savings. The bill does specify some funding mechanisms and authorities: agencies may retain and spend certain rental receipts and proceeds from disposal of excess property in a special fund for employee quarters; cooperative agreements may allow retention of reimbursable funds; and the bill does not include an overall appropriation in the text provided.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.