Data / Federal rules / 2026-13445
Promoting Employee Accountability
The Merit Systems Protection Board published this proposed rule in the Federal Register on July 2, 2026. Comments closed on August 3, 2026.
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What the agency says
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB or Board) are issuing proposed regulations governing performance-based reduction in grade and removal actions, non-disciplinary separations, and adverse actions, along with the MSPB's review of those actions, and proposing improved and additional training to supervisors. With this rule, OPM seeks to improve the accountability of employees for poor performance and misconduct by streamlining the administrative procedures used by agencies to take performance-based and adverse actions; and MSPB seeks to refocus its penalty review on a totality of the circumstances test rather than a rigid application of prescribed factors. The proposed rule also promotes transparency regarding employee poor performance and misconduct by restricting agencies' ability to engage in settlement agreements that remove official documentation of performance or conduct detrimental to the efficiency of the service.
Key facts
- Document number
- 2026-13445
- Type
- Proposed rule
- Action
- Proposed rule
- Agency
- Personnel Management Office; Merit Systems Protection Board
- Published
- July 2, 2026
- Comments due
- August 3, 2026
- Dates
- Comments must be received on or before August 3, 2026.
- Docket
- Docket ID: 2025-OPM-0012
- Regulation ID (RIN)
- 3124-AA35; 3206-AO91
- Code of Federal Regulations
- 5 CFR 412; 5 CFR 432; 5 CFR 715; 5 CFR 752; 5 CFR 1201
- Topics
- Administrative practice and procedure; Education; Government employees
- Significant
- Yes, under Executive Order 12866
- Pages
- 24
Other documents from the Merit Systems Protection Board
| Document | Type | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Determining the Appropriate Penalty for Federal Employees Charged With Misconduct 2026-18061 | Final rule | Sep 3 |
| Appellate Jurisdiction Update II 2026-16456 | Final rule | Aug 12 |
| Appellate Jurisdiction Update 2026-03594 | Final rule | Feb 23 |
| Practices and Procedures 2025-23250 | Final rule | Dec 18, 2025 |
| Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment 2025-13707 | Final rule | Jul 22, 2025 |
| Organization and Procedures 2024-19933 | Final rule | Sep 9, 2024 |
| Appellate Jurisdiction Update 2024-07191 | Final rule | Apr 9, 2024 |
| Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment 2024-03015 | Final rule | Feb 14, 2024 |
Everything from the Merit Systems Protection Board · Rules on administrative practice and procedure · Rules on education · Rules on government employees · Published in July 2026
Read from the Federal Register API, last updated 2026-10-23. The document on federalregister.gov is the official record; dates and dockets can change through later corrections. Free to reuse with credit to SpecStream under CC BY 4.0.