Federal Register #2026-15586

OPM Removes UGESP References from Federal Personnel Regulations

This regulatory update from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) affects federal personnel practices: - OPM is removing all references to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) from federal civil service regulations - Action is based on a Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel opinion declaring UGESP unlawful - The rule amends OPM regulations in 5 CFR Parts 300, 330, 337, and 720 - UGESP is no longer a binding or advisory standard for federal employment practices - OPM continues to require: - Job analysis for employment practices - Rational relationship between job performance and employment practices - Professional development and nondiscrimination - Agencies are not required to apply UGESP's adverse-impact and validation-study framework - No products, OEMs, vendors, or purchase quantities are involved - Agencies must review and update internal documents to remove outdated UGESP references - No new systems, studies, or reports are required as a result of this rule

Description

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim final rule to remove references to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) from Federal civil service regulations. This action aligns OPM regulations with a Department of Justice opinion that found UGESP unlawful. The rule maintains requirements for job analysis, rational relationship between job performance and employment practices, and nondiscrimination, but eliminates UGESP as a binding or advisory standard. Comments on the rule are accepted until September 29, 2026.

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