Deadline for Federal Agencies to Adopt Changes to Race Categories Extended

By Rosemary Cox

In November 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau announced its plans to revise the race-ethnicity standards set by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with Statistical Policy Directive No. 15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity.

As shared in previous blog, some revisions of interest include an additional race category for individuals with roots in the “Middle East or North Africa” (abbreviated as “MENA”), the ability to select more than one race or ethnic designation on the form, and the incorporation of “Hispanic or Latino” into the list of race categories (rather than listed as a separate ethnicity question).

Since the original announcement, multiple agencies have been working to update materials to comply with these revised standards. However, on September 26, 2025, the OMB announced an extension of 6 months from the original timelines. New deadlines are shared below.

• Due March 28, 2026: The Chief Financial Officers Act Agencies and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are required to submit an Action Plan on Race and Ethnicity Data. This was originally due September 28, 2025.
• Due September 28, 2029: Federal information collections that collect race and ethnicity data must be made consistent with the updated standards as soon as possible, but no later than this new due date. The original deadline was March 28, 2029.

DCI will continue to share relevant updates on this topic through our blog.