First 2025 Regulatory Agenda Confirms Policy Shifts But Includes Few Surprises

September 15, 2025

What's New

The administration has published the first regulatory agenda of President Trump’s second term. The semi-annual agenda, typically published in the spring and fall, outlines the administration’s regulatory priorities for the next year. The agenda includes the following items likely to affect workplace compliance programs:

• An anticipated interim final rule by the FAR Council to implement E.O. 14173, Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity;
• OFCCP’s proposed rules to rescind regulations implementing E.O. 11246 and significantly revise regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act;
• Future proposals by DOL’s Wage and Hour Division related to joint employment and employee/independent contractor classification under the FLSA; and
• Planned proposals by USCIS to significantly modify rules for H-1B nonimmigrant visas.

Neither the EEOC nor the NLRB submitted information for the regulatory agenda.

What It Means

The regulatory agenda provides a helpful guide for identifying the administration’s regulatory priorities. However, its projected timelines are often wildly optimistic, so they should be viewed skeptically. This agenda reflects a sharp policy shift from the prior administration, and much of the agenda focuses on rescinding measures adopted during the previous administration.

What You Should Do

CWC members can review our summary of selected provisions of the regulatory agenda and a table providing a user-friendly digest.

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