Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC" or "Commission") is rescinding its regulations regarding Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ("Guidelines"), and removing it from the Code of Federal Regulations. The Commission is rescinding the Guidelines and removing them from the Code of Federal Regulations because the Guidelines are inconsistent with the statutory language and were not supported by Supreme Court precedent when issued; they are obsolete; they only apply to affirmative action to benefit women or minorities; and they do not take into account multiple relevant Supreme Court cases and numerous developments in the lower courts, over the past four decades since their issuance in 1979.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 29 CFR Part 1608 RIN 3046-AB39 AGENCY: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. ACTION: Final interpretive rule. SUMMARY: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC” or “Commission”) is rescinding its regulations regarding Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Guidelines”), and removing it from the Code of Federal Regulations. The Commission is rescinding the Guidelines and removing them from the Code of Federal Regulations because the Guidelines are inconsistent with the statutory language and were not supported by Supreme Court precedent when issued; they are obsolete; they only apply to affirmative action to benefit women or minorities; and they do not take into account multiple relevant Supreme Court cases and numerous developments in the lower courts, over the past four decades since their issuance in 1979. DATES: This final interpretive rule is effective on July 6, 2026, and applicable as of June 29, 2026. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Raymond Peeler, Associate Legal Counsel, Office of Legal Counsel at 202-821-6367 (voice), 1-800-669-6820 (TTY), raymond.peeler@eeoc.gov . Requests for copies of this final interpretive rule in alternative formats should be made to the Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs at (202) 921-3191 (voice), 1-800-669-6820 (TTY), or 1-844-234-5122 (ASL video phone). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Rescission and…
Citation: 91 FR 40879
