DEI to DIE Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 800
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-28: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- Last Updated
- 2025-05-21T16:07:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill, titled the "DEI to DIE Act," aims to permanently end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government by codifying their termination. It seeks to eliminate what the bill describes as discriminatory practices, emphasizing equal treatment based on merit rather than identity-based factors, and to redirect government resources toward serving all citizens equally.
Key Provisions
- Findings Section: The bill states that previous administrations, starting with Executive Order 13985 (issued in 2021), imposed DEI programs across federal agencies, leading to waste and discrimination. It asserts that these programs must end to ensure government operations treat everyone with "equal dignity and respect."
- Elimination of DEI Programs:
- The Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), with help from the Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), must coordinate the termination of all DEI and DEI with accessibility (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the federal government.
- OPM must review and revise federal employment practices, union contracts, and training to comply, ensuring performance reviews reward individual skills, initiative, and hard work—without considering DEI factors.
- Required Agency Actions (Within 60 Days of Enactment):
- Agency heads, in consultation with the Attorney General, OMB, and OPM, must terminate DEI/DEIA offices (e.g., Chief Diversity Officer positions), equity action plans, grants, contracts, and performance requirements to the fullest extent allowed by law. This also includes "environmental justice" initiatives.
- Agencies must submit to OMB lists of:
- Pre-existing DEI/DEIA or environmental justice positions, committees, programs, budgets, and expenditures (as of November 4, 2024), including any relabeling to evade termination.
- Federal contractors providing DEI training.
- Grantees funded for DEI/DEIA or environmental justice activities since January 20, 2021.
- Deputy agency heads must assess the operational and financial impacts of past DEI programs (e.g., new hires) and recommend changes to align with equal treatment policies, such as notifying Congress under existing laws (e.g., 28 U.S.C. § 530D for litigation positions).
- Ongoing Monitoring:
- The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy must convene monthly meetings with OMB, OPM, and deputy agency heads to report on DEI prevalence, costs, compliance barriers, and progress toward equal dignity policies. This informs potential further actions by the President or Congress.
- Severability Clause: If any part of the bill is ruled invalid, the rest remains in effect.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Reverses the effects of Executive Order 13985 and related "Equity Action Plans" by making their termination mandatory and permanent through statute, rather than reversible executive action.
- Prohibits DEI considerations in federal employment and operations, shifting focus to merit-based evaluations—overriding prior policies that integrated equity goals into hiring, training, contracts, and enforcement.
- Introduces new reporting and review requirements for agencies, including assessments of past DEI spending and relabeling attempts, which were not previously mandated by law.
- Expands termination to include "environmental justice" programs, linking them to DEI as discriminatory.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Requires rapid dismantling of DEI structures, potentially saving resources but disrupting ongoing programs, training, and offices. Agencies may face short-term administrative burdens from reviews, lists, and assessments, with deputy heads gaining authority to realign policies, contracts, and grants.
- On Citizens: Federal employees and job applicants could see merit-only evaluations, reducing identity-based preferences in hiring and promotions. Taxpayers may benefit from reduced spending on DEI initiatives, but underserved communities might lose targeted equity supports in areas like safety, military, and environmental programs.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned, though changes to military DEI could indirectly affect recruitment and operations with global implications.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies and Employees: All executive branch entities must comply, with heads and deputies leading terminations; employees in DEI roles face potential job losses or reassignments.
- Contractors and Grantees: Providers of DEI training or services since 2021 must be identified, potentially losing future federal funding or contracts.
- Taxpayers and the Public: Broadly affected through redirected government spending and a shift toward uniform treatment in federal services.
- Underserved Communities: Those previously targeted by equity plans may see reduced support in areas like racial equity or environmental justice.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Could face challenges under anti-discrimination laws (e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment bias based on race, sex, etc.), as terminating DEI might be argued to disadvantage certain groups. The bill's reliance on "to the maximum extent allowed by law" leaves room for judicial review, and the severability clause protects partial enforcement.
- Constitutional: Raises equal protection concerns under the 14th Amendment, as it prioritizes "equal dignity" but eliminates programs aimed at addressing historical inequities—potentially sparking debates on whether this promotes or hinders uniformity under the law.
- Political: Reflects a partisan effort to undo prior administration policies, with the provocative title ("DEI to DIE") signaling strong opposition to DEI. It empowers executive oversight (e.g., OMB, OPM) and could set precedents for future policy reversals via legislation, influencing civil rights enforcement and agency autonomy.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-28: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- 2025-01-28: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-28: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- DEI to DIE Act — issued 2025-01-28 — PDF (6 pages)