Presidential DocumentExecutive Order 143562025-19614
Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring
Primary source
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Published
October 20, 2025
Signed
October 15, 2025
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 200 (Monday, October 20, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 200 (Monday, October 20, 2025)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 48387-48389]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-19614]
[[Page 48385]]
Vol. 90
Monday,
No. 200
October 20, 2025
Part II
The President
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Executive Order 14356--Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal
Hiring
Notice of October 16, 2025--Continuation of the National Emergency With
Respect to Significant Narcotics Traffickers Centered in Colombia
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Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 90 , No. 200 / Monday, October 20, 2025 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 48387]]
Executive Order 14356 of October 15, 2025
Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal
Hiring
By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Background. In just 8 months, my
Administration has dramatically reduced the size of the
Federal workforce, improving the efficient delivery of
Government services while prioritizing hiring in
national security, immigration enforcement, public
safety, and other roles that further my
Administration's priorities and benefit American
taxpayers. The results of this approach have surpassed
the ratio of four departures for each new hire set
forth in Executive Order 14210 of February 11, 2025
(Implementing the President's ``Department of
Government Efficiency'' Workforce Optimization
Initiative). To protect and expand upon these historic
improvements, and to ensure that the Federal Government
is optimally staffed to meet critical mission needs and
implement the agenda that the American people elected
me to pursue, Federal hiring shall be subject to the
following policies and procedures going forward.
Sec. 2. Policies and Procedures to Govern Federal
Hiring. No Federal civilian position that is vacant may
be filled, and no new position may be created, except
as provided for in this order or required by applicable
law. Except as set forth in section 3 of this order,
this policy applies to all executive departments and
agencies (agencies) regardless of their sources of
operational or programmatic funding.
(a) Compliance with the Merit Hiring Plan. Any
Federal hiring shall be consistent with the Merit
Hiring Plan issued by the Assistant to the President
for Domestic Policy and the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) on May 29, 2025, pursuant to
Executive Order 14170 of January 20, 2025 (Reforming
the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to
Government Service).
(b) Strategic Hiring Committees. Within 30 days of
the date of this order, each agency head shall
establish a Strategic Hiring Committee to approve the
creation or filling, as applicable, of each vacancy
within their agency. The Strategic Hiring Committee
shall include the deputy agency head and the chief of
staff to the agency head, along with such other senior
officials as the agency head may designate. The
Strategic Hiring Committee shall ensure that agency
hiring is consistent with the national interest, agency
needs, and the priorities of my Administration. Agency
Strategic Hiring Committees shall provide written
notice of approved hires to OPM following the approval
of such hires.
(c) Annual Staffing Plans and Quarterly Updates.
(i) Within 60 days of the date of this order, each agency shall prepare an
Annual Staffing Plan, in coordination with OPM and the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB), to ensure that new career appointments in the upcoming
fiscal year are in the highest-need areas and aligned with the priorities
of my Administration. Agencies shall submit final Annual Staffing Plans to
OPM and OMB. In these plans, agencies shall seek to improve operational
efficiency; eliminate duplicative or unnecessary functions and positions;
reduce unnecessary or low-value contractor positions; promote employee
accountability; enhance delivery of essential services; appropriately
prioritize hiring for national security, homeland
[[Page 48388]]
security, and public safety positions; and implement the recruitment
initiatives described in the Merit Hiring Plan. Going forward, agencies
shall prepare, in coordination with OPM and OMB, Annual Staffing Plans to
implement at the start of each new fiscal year.
(ii) Agencies shall comply with the Annual Staffing Plans throughout the
fiscal year, but agencies may update their plans during the course of the
year based on enactment of relevant appropriations or authorizing
legislation, or otherwise amend their plans in coordination with OPM and
OMB.
(iii) Agencies shall submit updates to OPM and OMB at the beginning of each
quarter, beginning with the second quarter of the 2026 fiscal year, showing
progress in implementing their Annual Staffing Plans.
Sec. 3. Exceptions. (a) This order does not apply to:
(i) the Executive Office of the President or the components thereof;
(ii) non-career positions requiring Presidential appointment or Senate
confirmation;
(iii) non-career positions in the Senior Executive Service;
(iv) Schedule C or Schedule G positions in the excepted service;
(v) military personnel of the Armed Forces;
(vi) positions related to immigration enforcement, national security, or
public safety; or
(vii) appointment of officials through temporary organization hiring
authority pursuant to section 3161 of title 5, United States Code.
(b) This order does not limit or prohibit the
appointment or hiring of any other non-career employees
or officials if approved by an agency head appointed by
the President or another official appointed by the
President.
(c) This order does not limit or prohibit any
appointment or hiring specifically approved by the head
of an executive department, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 101.
OPM may also authorize the head of an independent
establishment, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 104, to use this
exception.
(d) This order does not limit or prohibit the
hiring of personnel where such a limit or prohibition
would conflict with applicable law.
(e) The Director of OPM may grant appropriate
exemptions from this order. Exemptions previously
granted by OPM under the Presidential Memoranda of
January 20, 2025 (Hiring Freeze), and July 7, 2025
(Ensuring Accountability and Prioritizing Public Safety
in Federal Hiring), shall remain in effect unless
withdrawn by OPM.
Sec. 4. Report. Within 180 days of the date of this
order, the Director of OMB and the Director of OPM
shall submit a joint report to the President, through
the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy,
regarding implementation of this order, including a
recommendation as to whether any of its provisions
should be modified or terminated.
Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of OMB relating to budgetary,
administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) Contracting outside the Federal Government to
circumvent the intent of this order is prohibited.
(d) This order does not prohibit making
reallocations or reassignments to meet the highest
priority needs; maintain essential services; and
protect national security, homeland security, and
public safety.
[[Page 48389]]
(e) This order shall not adversely impact the
provision of Social Security, Medicare, or veterans'
benefits.
(f) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.
(g) If any provision of this order, or the
application of any provision to any person or
circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of
this order and the application of its provisions to any
other persons or circumstances shall not be affected
thereby.
(h) The costs for publication of this order shall
be borne by OPM.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 15, 2025.
[FR Doc. 2025-19614
Filed 10-17-25; 11:15 am]
Billing code 6325-38-P
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