The "DEI to DIE Act" eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives within the Federal Government, redirecting focus to individual merit and equal opportunity.
Cory Mills
Representative
FL-7
The "DEI to DIE Act" eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and positions within the Federal Government, redirecting focus to individual merit and equal dignity. It mandates the termination of DEI initiatives across federal agencies, requiring detailed reports on DEI-related expenditures and activities. The Act also revises federal employment practices to ensure they reward individual skills and performance, and establishes a monitoring system to prevent the resurgence of DEI programs under different labels.
DEI to DIE Act: Feds Ax Diversity Programs, Mandate 'Equal Dignity' Policy Shift
The "DEI to DIE Act" is exactly what it sounds like – a sweeping elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the entire Federal Government. This bill isn't about tweaking guidelines; it's a full-scale dismantling of DEI offices, positions, and programs, effective immediately upon enactment.
From DEI to "Equal Dignity"
The core of this bill is a mandate to replace DEI with a focus on "equal dignity and respect." Within 60 days of becoming law, every federal agency, department, and commission must terminate all DEI and environmental justice offices, equity action plans, and related grants or contracts (SEC. 2). They also have to scrub DEI performance requirements from employee, contractor, and grantee evaluations. Think of it like a system-wide reset, wiping the slate clean of anything explicitly labeled DEI. The bill requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to revise Federal employment practices and training policies to comply with this Act, ensuring that Federal employment practices reward individual initiative, skills, performance, and hard work, without considering DEI factors. (SEC. 2)
Real-World Rollout
Imagine a federal office where a team previously focused on ensuring diverse hiring practices is suddenly disbanded. Their roles are eliminated, and ongoing projects aimed at reaching underrepresented groups are halted. Or consider a small business owner who secured a federal contract partly due to their commitment to diversity – that commitment could now be a non-factor, or even a liability, under this new law. Agencies are also required to provide a list of federal grantees who received federal funding to provide or advance DEI or environmental justice programs, services, or activities since January 20, 2021. (SEC. 2) This could have a chilling effect on organizations that focus on serving marginalized communities. The Act also requires agencies to provide a list of all DEI positions, programs, and expenditures as of November 4, 2024, and an assessment of whether these have been relabeled to preserve their function. (SEC. 2)
The Bigger Picture
This bill represents a fundamental shift in how the federal government approaches diversity and inclusion. While the stated goal is "equal dignity and respect," the immediate impact is the removal of programs designed to address systemic inequalities. The long-term effects are yet to be seen, but it could significantly alter the makeup of the federal workforce and the recipients of federal funding. The bill also sets up a monthly meeting, led by the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, to track compliance and discuss "barriers" to implementing this DEI ban (SEC. 2). The law does have a severability clause. This means that if a court finds any part of the law unconstitutional, the rest of it stays in place. (SEC. 2)