{
    "schema": "amendsignal.record/1",
    "generated_on": "2026-11-02",
    "publisher": {
        "name": "AmendSignal",
        "url": "https://amendsignal.com/"
    },
    "notice": "Coverage is limited, so a missing record does not mean nothing changed. General information, not legal advice. Check the official source. Please cite the record's url.",
    "change": {
        "id": 24,
        "url": "https://amendsignal.com/changes/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-rescinds-its-1979-affirmative-action-guidelines-under-title/",
        "title": "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rescinds its 1979 affirmative action guidelines under Title VII",
        "change_type": "final_rule",
        "change_type_label": "Final rule",
        "status": "effective",
        "status_label": "In effect",
        "status_statement": "As of our last check on November 2, 2026, this is in effect, since July 6, 2026.",
        "significance": "No new requirements",
        "jurisdiction": {
            "code": "US",
            "name": "United States"
        },
        "authority": {
            "name": "Equal Employment Opportunity Commission",
            "short_name": "EEOC"
        },
        "identifiers": [
            {
                "type": "fr_document_number",
                "label": "FR document",
                "value": "2026-13637"
            },
            {
                "type": "fr_citation",
                "label": "Citation",
                "value": "91 FR 40879"
            },
            {
                "type": "rin",
                "label": "RIN",
                "value": "3046-AB39"
            },
            {
                "type": "cfr_citation",
                "label": "CFR",
                "value": "29 CFR 1608"
            }
        ],
        "dates": [
            {
                "type": "applicability",
                "label": "Applies from",
                "value": "2026-06-29",
                "precision": "day"
            },
            {
                "type": "publication",
                "label": "Published",
                "value": "2026-07-06",
                "precision": "day"
            },
            {
                "type": "effective",
                "label": "Effective",
                "value": "2026-07-06",
                "precision": "day"
            }
        ],
        "in_short": {
            "what_changed": "The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) removed its 1979 affirmative action guidelines, found in part 1608 of title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), in a final interpretive rule effective July 6, 2026, and applicable as of June 29, 2026. This ends the good-faith reliance defense under section 713(b) of Title VII for actions taken under such plans after the rescission.",
            "whos_affected": "Employers and other entities covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that use, or relied on, affirmative action plans, including plans tied to the now-revoked Executive Order 11246. The EEOC says it sees little evidence that employers rely on the guidelines today.",
            "what_to_do": "This rule creates no new duties for employers. If you have an affirmative action plan, consider reviewing it, because actions taken under it after the rescission can no longer be defended as relying on the guidelines."
        },
        "summary": "The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has rescinded its 1979 Guidelines on Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and removed them from the Code of Federal Regulations. The final interpretive rule is effective July 6, 2026, and applicable as of June 29, 2026. Employers can no longer use the section 713(b) good-faith reliance defense for actions taken under an affirmative action plan after the rescission, though it stays available for earlier actions, and the rule creates no new duties.",
        "business_functions": {
            "state": "limited",
            "functions": [
                {
                    "slug": "human-resources",
                    "name": "Human resources"
                },
                {
                    "slug": "legal-and-compliance",
                    "name": "Legal and compliance"
                }
            ]
        },
        "added_on": "2026-11-02",
        "updated_on": null,
        "updates_in_progress": null,
        "last_checked": "2026-11-02",
        "record_url": "https://amendsignal.com/changes/equal-employment-opportunity-commission-rescinds-its-1979-affirmative-action-guidelines-under-title/record.json",
        "what_changed": [
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC rescinded its Guidelines on Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII and removed and reserved 29 CFR part 1608.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "PART 1608--[REMOVED AND RESERVED]",
                        "excerpt": "the Commission removes and reserves 29 CFR part 1608."
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "Employers will not be able to assert the section 713(b) defense for actions taken under an affirmative action plan after the rescission.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "employers will not be able to assert a defense under section 713(b) for actions taken pursuant to an affirmative action plan after the rescission"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The rescission is not retroactive. Employers can still assert the section 713(b) defense for actions taken before the rescission, if they can meet its requirements.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "because the rescission will not be retroactive, employers will still be able to assert a defense ... under section 713(b) for actions taken before the rescission."
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC says it rescinded the guidelines because they conflict with the plain text of Title VII, are obsolete, cover only plans benefiting minorities and women, and may conflict with later caselaw and the Constitution.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B",
                        "excerpt": "rescission of the Guidelines is necessary because they (1) are inconsistent with the plain text of Title VII"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC has separately rescinded its 1981 compliance manual section on affirmative action (CM-607), which explained how it handled charges where an employer pointed to an affirmative action plan.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Footnote 2",
                        "excerpt": "The Commission has issued a separate notice rescinding CM-607."
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC rescinded the guidelines without a notice-and-comment process.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, II.A",
                        "excerpt": "the Commission rescinds the Guidelines without notice and comment."
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "who_is_affected": [
            {
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "text": "The change matters most to employers, labor organizations and others covered by Title VII that adopted affirmative action plans in reliance on the guidelines, because those were the parties the guidelines were written to protect.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.A",
                        "excerpt": "employers, labor organizations, and other persons subject to title VII [who] have changed their employment practices and systems to improve employment opportunities for minorities and women"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The guidelines covered affirmative action plans that federal contractors created under the now-revoked Executive Order 11246.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.3",
                        "excerpt": "Section 1608.5 incorporates affirmative action plans created by federal contractors pursuant to the now-revoked E.O. 11246."
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC expects little effect on employers, saying it lacks evidence that today's employers adopt affirmative action plans in reliance on the guidelines.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.C",
                        "excerpt": "Rescinding the Guidelines is unlikely to significantly affect employers, given the lack of evidence that today's employers adopt affirmative action plans in reliance on the Guidelines."
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "business_implications": [
            {
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "text": "Employment decisions made under an affirmative action plan after the rescission will be judged directly under Title VII, with no safe harbor for following the guidelines.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "employers will not be able to assert a defense under section 713(b) for actions taken pursuant to an affirmative action plan after the rescission"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC says that when it evaluates a discrimination charge involving an affirmative action plan, the question is whether the charging party faced discrimination prohibited by Title VII, not whether the plan follows the guidelines.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.2",
                        "excerpt": "In evaluating a charge of discrimination involving an affirmative action plan, the proper inquiry is whether the charging party has been subjected to discrimination prohibited by Title VII, as determined by binding legal authority"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "Whether a defense for earlier actions succeeds depends on many factors that the EEOC does not prejudge, including whether the conduct was actually taken under the plan.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Footnote 11",
                        "excerpt": "Whether the defense is successful will hinge on numerous factors, which the Commission does not attempt to prejudge here"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The rescission adds no new paperwork or information collection requirements.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, II.D",
                        "excerpt": "This rescission imposes no new information collection requirements on the public"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "text": "The EEOC does not expect the rescission to meaningfully change how employers carry out their Title VII responsibilities.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "the Commission does not believe the rescission will have a meaningful impact on how employers will implement their Title VII responsibilities"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "required_actions": [],
        "recommended_actions": [
            {
                "kind": "recommendation",
                "kind_label": "Our suggestion",
                "text": "Consider identifying any affirmative action plans or programs your organization uses, and noting which were adopted in reliance on the rescinded guidelines.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "employers will not be able to assert a defense under section 713(b) for actions taken pursuant to an affirmative action plan after the rescission"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "recommendation",
                "kind_label": "Our suggestion",
                "text": "Consider keeping the dated, written plan documents and records of actions taken under a plan before the rescission, since the defense can still be raised for those earlier actions.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.A",
                        "excerpt": "specific portions of an affirmative action plan needed to be dated and in writing"
                    },
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "because the rescission will not be retroactive, employers will still be able to assert a defense ... under section 713(b) for actions taken before the rescission."
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "kind": "recommendation",
                "kind_label": "Our suggestion",
                "text": "Federal contractors that kept plans under the now-revoked Executive Order 11246 may want to review them, since the document notes that the Department of Labor intends to rescind the regulations behind those plans.",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.3",
                        "excerpt": "the Department of Labor has issued a notice of intent to rescind its regulations implementing now-revoked E.O. 11246."
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "required_actions_assessment": {
            "state": "assessed",
            "text": "The rule creates no new requirements for employers. It removes the guidelines, and with them the section 713(b) defense for actions taken under a plan after the rescission."
        },
        "applicability": [
            {
                "criterion": "where",
                "label": "Where",
                "answer": "United States, nationwide",
                "kind": "fact",
                "kind_label": "From the source",
                "evidence": []
            },
            {
                "criterion": "employer_type",
                "label": "Employers",
                "answer": "Employers, labor organizations and other entities covered by Title VII that use affirmative action plans.",
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.A",
                        "excerpt": "employers, labor organizations, and other persons subject to title VII [who] have changed their employment practices and systems to improve employment opportunities for minorities and women"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "criterion": "size",
                "label": "Size",
                "answer": "The document sets no size threshold of its own; it reaches employers covered by Title VII, whose coverage limits it does not state.",
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Footnote 4",
                        "excerpt": "It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer--"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "criterion": "industries",
                "label": "Industries",
                "answer": "All industries; the document names no particular industry.",
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.A",
                        "excerpt": "employers, labor organizations, and other persons subject to title VII [who] have changed their employment practices and systems to improve employment opportunities for minorities and women"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "criterion": "functions",
                "label": "Functions",
                "answer": "Legal and compliance teams, and human resources teams that run affirmative action plans.",
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.A",
                        "excerpt": "employers who entered into affirmative action plans or programs in good faith and in conformity with the Guidelines were afforded 713(b) protection"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "criterion": "applies_if",
                "label": "Applies if",
                "answer": "You have, or take employment actions under, an affirmative action plan or program.",
                "kind": "inference",
                "kind_label": "Our analysis",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, I.B.5",
                        "excerpt": "employers will not be able to assert a defense under section 713(b) for actions taken pursuant to an affirmative action plan after the rescission"
                    }
                ]
            },
            {
                "criterion": "action",
                "label": "Action",
                "answer": "No filing or new duty; consider reviewing any affirmative action plans and keeping records of earlier actions.",
                "kind": "recommendation",
                "kind_label": "Our suggestion",
                "evidence": [
                    {
                        "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                        "locator": "Supplementary Information, II.D",
                        "excerpt": "This rescission imposes no new information collection requirements on the public"
                    }
                ]
            }
        ],
        "open_questions": [
            {
                "question": "Is the cutoff for the section 713(b) defense June 29, 2026, or July 6, 2026?",
                "context": "The rule is applicable as of June 29, 2026, and effective July 6, 2026, but it ties the defense to actions taken before or after \"the rescission\" without saying which date that is."
            },
            {
                "question": "Can employers still rely on earlier EEOC no-cause determinations issued under the guidelines for future charges with similar facts?",
                "context": "The rescinded guidelines let a respondent rely on such a determination for future charges, and the rule does not say what happens to those determinations."
            }
        ],
        "events": [
            {
                "event_type": "originating_action",
                "label": "Issued",
                "occurred_on": "2026-07-06",
                "summary": "Rescission of Guidelines on Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as Amended",
                "source": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act"
            }
        ],
        "corrections": [],
        "sources": [
            {
                "label": "Rescission of Guidelines on Affirmative Action Appropriate Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as Amended, 91 FR 40879 (July 6, 2026)",
                "publisher": "Federal Register",
                "role": "primary",
                "url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13637/rescission-of-guidelines-on-affirmative-action-appropriate-under-title-vii-of-the-civil-rights-act",
                "pdf_url": "https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-06/pdf/2026-13637.pdf"
            }
        ]
    }
}