Executive Order

Executive Order 14251 - Exclusions From Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs

ActiveExecutive Orders

Published

March 27, 2025

Lineage

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Ingested

June 29, 2026

Summary

Executive Order 14251, issued by the President on March 27, 2025, significantly expands exclusions from federal labor-management relations programs for numerous agencies and subdivisions, citing national security requirements. It amends Executive Order 12171 by determining that many departments and their components, including large parts of State, Defense, Treasury, Justice, and Homeland Security, perform intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work, making them incompatible with Chapter 71 of Title 5 and Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of Title 22 U.S. Code. The order also delegates authority to the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Transportation regarding these exclusions and mandates specific actions for agencies with newly excepted employees.

Key provisions

Executive Order 14251: Exclusions From Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs

Introduction and Purpose

Executive Order 14251, issued on March 27, 2025, utilizes presidential authority under the U.S. Constitution and specific sections of titles 5 and 22 of the U.S. Code.
The Order's primary objective is to enhance the national security of the United States by excluding certain federal agencies and their subdivisions from federal labor-management relations programs.

Determinations for Exclusions

The Order formally determines that agencies and subdivisions listed in Section 2 primarily perform intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work. It concludes that Chapter 71 of title 5, U.S. Code (Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute), cannot be applied to these entities in a manner consistent with national security requirements.
Similarly, agency subdivisions listed in Section 3 are determined to have primary intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security functions. For these, Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, U.S. Code, is deemed inconsistent with national security requirements for its application.

Additional National Security Exclusions (Amending EO 12171)

Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979, is amended by adding a new section 1-4, which lists numerous agencies and subdivisions explicitly excluded from Chapter 71 of title 5, U.S. Code.
This includes entire departments such as the Departments of State, Justice, Energy (except FERC), EPA, USAID, NRC, NSF, FCC, GSA, and USITC, along with most of the Departments of Defense, Treasury (except Bureau of Engraving and Printing), and Veterans Affairs.
Specific subdivisions of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, and Agriculture are also detailed as excluded.
Compliance Note: The Order specifies that immediate, local employing offices of agency police officers, security guards, or firefighters (except Bureau of Prisons), certain U.S. Marshals Service subdivisions, and specific DoD or VA subdivisions (where the Secretary has suspended the exclusion per Section 4 of this EO) remain covered by Chapter 71.

Foreign Service Exclusions (Amending EO 12171)

EO 12171 is further amended to include authority under 22 U.S.C. 4103(b) and Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of Title 22, specifically for Foreign Service exclusions.
A new section 1-5 is added to EO 12171, identifying specific subdivisions of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as having primary intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work

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Executive Order 14251: Exclusions From Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs

Introduction and Purpose

Executive Order 14251, issued on March 27, 2025, utilizes presidential authority under the U.S. Constitution and specific sections of titles 5 and 22 of the U.S. Code.

The Order's primary objective is to enhance the national security of the United States by excluding certain federal agencies and their subdivisions from federal labor-management relations programs.

Determinations for Exclusions

The Order formally determines that agencies and subdivisions listed in Section 2 primarily perform intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work. It concludes that Chapter 71 of title 5, U.S. Code (Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute), cannot be applied to these entities in a manner consistent with national security requirements.

Similarly, agency subdivisions listed in Section 3 are determined to have primary intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security functions. For these, Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of title 22, U.S. Code, is deemed inconsistent with national security requirements for its application.

Additional National Security Exclusions (Amending EO 12171)

Executive Order 12171 of November 19, 1979, is amended by adding a new section 1-4, which lists numerous agencies and subdivisions explicitly excluded from Chapter 71 of title 5, U.S. Code.

This includes entire departments such as the Departments of State, Justice, Energy (except FERC), EPA, USAID, NRC, NSF, FCC, GSA, and USITC, along with most of the Departments of Defense, Treasury (except Bureau of Engraving and Printing), and Veterans Affairs.

Specific subdivisions of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, and Agriculture are also detailed as excluded.

Compliance Note: The Order specifies that immediate, local employing offices of agency police officers, security guards, or firefighters (except Bureau of Prisons), certain U.S. Marshals Service subdivisions, and specific DoD or VA subdivisions (where the Secretary has suspended the exclusion per Section 4 of this EO) remain covered by Chapter 71.

Foreign Service Exclusions (Amending EO 12171)

EO 12171 is further amended to include authority under 22 U.S.C. 4103(b) and Subchapter X of Chapter 52 of Title 22, specifically for Foreign Service exclusions.

A new section 1-5 is added to EO 12171, identifying specific subdivisions of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as having primary intelligence, counterintelligence, investigative, or national security work