The Trump administration has rolled out a new rule aimed at making it easier to terminate federal employees for serious misconduct by streamlining the process, which is currently hindered by bureaucratic red tape, Fox News reported exclusively on Monday.

“The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative processes for determining suitability and taking suitability actions,” the rule, which went live for public comment on Monday morning, states. 

“The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve the efficiency, rigor and timeliness by which OPM and agencies vet individuals for risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service, and to make clear that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.”

OPM says its new rule is part of President Trump’s “Implementing the Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative” as well as the Presidential Memorandum, “Strengthening the Suitability and Fitness of the Federal Workforce,” as noted by Fox.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says the new rule will give the federal government expanded authority to discipline employees for misconduct that occurs after hiring. The rule provides agencies with broader powers to flag actions such as tax evasion, unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, and other behavior deemed “inconsistent with the public trust.”

“For too long, agencies have faced red tape when trying to remove employees who break the public’s trust,” OPM’s Acting Director, Chuck Ezell, told Fox. “This proposed rule ensures misconduct is met with consequence and reinforces that public service is a privilege, not a right.”

Under the new rule, federal agencies can refer individual cases to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to request “suitability action” against employees suspected of engaging in misconduct after their appointment that may warrant disciplinary measures.

Fox News Digital reported in 2023 that, under current law, most federal employees are not considered at-will and can only be dismissed for specific reasons such as misconduct, poor performance, medical incapacity, or workforce reductions.

Additionally, these employees are granted extensive due process rights, often making it difficult and time-consuming for agencies to remove them, Fox noted.