Executive Order 14281

Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy

Signed 2025-04-23 partially blocked
Civil RightsDEIAffirmative Action
DEIEducation

Directs agencies to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability to the maximum degree possible, revoking prior approval of Title VI disparate-impact regulations and deprioritizing disparate-impact enforcement across DOJ, EEOC, FTC, and CFPB.

Section by Section

What each section does, and how they differ.

Sec. 1 Purpose

Citizens deserve equal treatment under law and equality of opportunity, not predetermined outcomes based on disparate-impact liability theories.

Sec. 2 Policy

Eliminates disparate-impact liability applications to maximum extent constitutionally permissible across all federal civil rights contexts.

Sec. 3 Revoking Certain Presidential Actions

Revokes prior presidential approvals of DOJ Title VI disparate-impact regulations.

Sec. 4 Enforcement Discretion to Ensure Lawful Governance

Directs all agencies to deprioritize enforcement of statutes containing disparate-impact liability provisions.

Sec. 5 Existing Regulations

Attorney General initiates repeal or amendment of Title VI implementing regulations across agencies within 30 days.

Sec. 6 Review of Current Matters

Attorney General and EEOC assess pending investigations relying on disparate-impact theories within 45 days.

Sec. 7 Future Agency Action

Attorney General determines federal preemption of state disparate-impact provisions and develops employment guidance.

Sec. 8 Severability

Standard severability clause: if a court strikes any provision, the rest of the order stands.

Sec. 9 General Provisions

Standard boilerplate: preserves existing agency authority, conditions the order on appropriations, and creates no enforceable private rights.