Federal agencies must approve and plan most civilian hiring

Agency heads must approve each covered vacancy or new position through a Strategic Hiring Committee. The rule generally covers civilian positions in executive departments and agencies, regardless of their operating or program funding source. Hiring must follow the Merit Hiring Plan issued on May 29, 2025. The committee must include the deputy agency head and the agency head’s chief of staff, plus any other senior officials the agency head chooses. Agencies must send the Office of Personnel Management written notice of approved hires. The order must be carried out under applicable law and available funding. Agency heads must create their committees within 30 days of October 15, 2025.

Agencies must submit annual staffing plans and quarterly updates to the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget. Plans cover new career appointments and must identify high-need areas, including essential services, national security, homeland security, and public safety. Agencies must coordinate plans with OPM and OMB. Plans must seek greater efficiency, reduce unnecessary functions and low-value contractor positions, and support employee accountability. Agencies may update plans when appropriations or authorizing laws change, or when OPM and OMB approve another amendment. Initial plans are due within 60 days of October 15, 2025. Plans begin with each new fiscal year, and quarterly updates begin in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.

Agencies may hire outside the general limits for listed security, enforcement, public safety, political, military, temporary-authority, and legally required positions. Exceptions include immigration enforcement, national security, public safety, military personnel, certain presidential or Senate-confirmed and non-career positions, and temporary organizations under 5 U.S.C. 3161. A presidentially appointed agency head or other presidentially appointed official may approve certain additional non-career hiring. Department heads may approve other appointments, and OPM may extend that exception to independent establishments. OPM may grant exemptions, and earlier OPM exemptions remain unless withdrawn. The order does not allow contracting outside the government to evade its purpose and does not bar reassignment or reallocation for priority needs. Existing OPM exemptions continue until OPM withdraws them. OMB and OPM must send a joint implementation report to the President within 180 days of October 15, 2025.