# 2025-05217: President Empowers OPM to Constantly Vet Federal Workers' Suitability

2025-05217, Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce, is a Federal Register presidential document from Executive Office of the President published 2025-03-25, effective The delegation described in Section 1(b) is not effective until completion of OPM's rulemaking to amend Part 731 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-05217
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-05217
- Title: Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce
- Type: Presidential Document
- Agencies: Executive Office of the President
- Citation: 90 FR 13683
- Published: 2025-03-25
- Effective: The delegation described in Section 1(b) is not effective until completion of OPM's rulemaking to amend Part 731 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## In one line

President Empowers OPM to Constantly Vet Federal Workers' Suitability

## Summary

The President gave the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) the power to decide if federal employees stay fit for their jobs, especially after they’re hired. OPM will create new rules to guide these decisions, and agencies must follow OPM’s orders quickly—within 5 workdays. This change affects all executive branch workers and aims to keep the federal workforce strong and trustworthy, with new rules coming soon.

## Effects PRIA read

- OPM given final say on employee fitness: cost, high. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is given the authority to make final suitability determinations and take suitability actions about executive branch employees based on post-appointment conduct. OPM can direct an agency head to remove an employee who does not meet OPM's suita…
- Agencies must follow OPM orders in 5 work days: cost, high. The proposed regulations would require that if the Director of OPM issues specific instructions for separation or other corrective action, the head of the agency must comply within 5 work days of the final decision, consistent with Civil Service Rule 5.3. That 5-work-day compliance requirement is e…
- OPM will rewrite Part 731 rules: mixed, medium. OPM will propose regulations amending Part 731 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations to implement the delegated authority for suitability determinations based on post-appointment conduct. The memorandum says the delegation is not effective until that rulemaking is complete.
- OPM may require agency referrals first: cost, low. In drafting the new regulations, the Director of OPM is instructed to consider requiring that an employing agency must make a referral to OPM before OPM can make a final suitability determination and take suitability action based on post-appointment conduct. The memorandum frames this as a consider…
- Memo does not create enforceable legal rights: cost, low. The memorandum states it is not intended to create any substantive or procedural right or benefit enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its agencies, officers, employees, or agents. It also says implementation is subject to applicable law and available appropriatio…

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## Sources
- [2025-05217 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/25/2025-05217/strengthening-the-suitability-and-fitness-of-the-federal-workforce)
- [2025-05217 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-03-25/pdf/2025-05217.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-05214, Stopping Waste, Fraud, and Abuse by Eliminating Information Silos](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-05214)
- [Next: 2025-05291, Addressing Remedial Action by Paul Weiss](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-05291)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-05217 (as of 2026-06-08).