# 2025-07575: Feds to Limit 'Perfect' Scores for Top Brass—Fairness Finally?

2025-07575, Assuring Responsive and Accountable Federal Executive Management, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Personnel Management Office published 2025-05-02, effective Comments must be received on or before June 2, 2025; agencies are expected to update policies in FY2025 to prepare for implementation in the FY2026 performance appraisal period.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-15).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-07575
- As of: 2026-10-15
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-07575
- Title: Assuring Responsive and Accountable Federal Executive Management
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Personnel Management Office
- Citation: 90 FR 18820
- Published: 2025-05-02
- Effective: Comments must be received on or before June 2, 2025; agencies are expected to update policies in FY2025 to prepare for implementation in the FY2026 performance appraisal period.
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: 3206-AO81
- Last updated: 2026-10-15

## In one line

Feds to Limit 'Perfect' Scores for Top Brass—Fairness Finally?

## Summary

The government wants to change how top federal leaders (Senior Executive Service) get their performance ratings. They plan to allow limits on how many can get the highest scores to make ratings fairer and more honest. This affects federal agencies and aims to improve accountability, with public comments open until June 2, 2025.

## Abstract

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing to remove the prohibition of a forced distribution of performance rating levels within the Senior Executive Service (SES) as well as eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language within SES performance management regulations. Currently, agencies are prohibited from establishing quotas or limits on the number or proportion of the various rating levels assigned, meaning that each senior executive potentially can receive any rating based on their performance, irrespective of how other senior executives perform within the agency. However, governmentwide SES ratings data have consistently shown that virtually all SES receive the highest rating levels (i.e., levels 4 and 5) despite documented reports of SES failings. Removing the prohibition on forced distribution would allow agencies to establish and enforce limits on the highest SES rating levels, thereby increasing rigor in the SES appraisal process and leading to a more normalized distribution of SES ratings across the Federal Government.

## Effects PRIA read

- Limits on Top SES Ratings: cost, medium. If you are a Senior Executive Service (SES) member, OPM proposes to allow agencies to set limits on how many SES can receive the highest ratings (Levels 4 and 5). This change would apply across the government to about 8,430 SES members and agencies are expected to prepare in fiscal year 2025 for im…
- DEI Removed from SES Appraisals: mixed, low. OPM proposes to remove the performance factor that appraisals should consider "leadership effectiveness in promoting diversity, inclusion, and engagement" (removal of 5 CFR 430.308(d)(7)). OPM also proposes to remove language encouraging agencies to consider diversity and inclusion when appointing…
- One-time Governmentwide Implementation Cost: cost, low. OPM estimates the one-year transitional cost to implement this rule at about $1.5 million governmentwide. That total includes about $12,400 per agency (80 hours of policy-update work at an assumed $154.76 hourly labor cost, totaling about $1.1 million across ~90 agencies) and about $420,000 for SES…

## Related documents

- [2026-19222](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-19222): Employment in the Excepted Service, 2026-09-18
- [2026-18828](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18828): Shared Certificates and Pooled Hiring Actions, 2026-09-15
- [2026-18800](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-18800): Reduction in Force; Correction, 2026-09-15
- [2026-16687](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16687): Differential Pay for Prescribed Wildland Fire Activities, 2026-08-14
- [2026-15650](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15650): Suitability Action Appeals, 2026-08-03
- [2026-15666](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15666): Reduction in Force Appeals, 2026-08-03

## Sources
- [2025-07575 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/02/2025-07575/assuring-responsive-and-accountable-federal-executive-management)
- [2025-07575 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-05-02/pdf/2025-07575.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-07539, Request for Comment To Withhold Certain Aircraft Registration Information From…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-07539)
- [Next: 2025-07637, Amendment of Class D and Class E2, Amendment of Class E4, and Amendment of Clas…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-07637)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-07575 (as of 2026-10-15).