The Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to introduce governmentwide nondisclosure agreements aimed at preventing leaks of sensitive government information.
In a draft notice submitted to the Federal Register, the Office of Personnel Management said the proposed NDA policy would promote “consistency across Government, better protect confidential information, and better inform Federal employees of their rights and obligations regarding confidential information.”
The notice is expected to be published on Wednesday and remain open for a 30-day public comment period.
The proposal adopts a broad definition of “Confidential Government Information,” describing it as “all non-public, confidential, or proprietary information,” including material related to internal agency operations, personnel matters, procurement processes, and “sensitive, pre-decisional or deliberative material” that is not publicly available.
OPM pointed to several recent leaks it said endangered military operations and federal employees.
“In early 2026, the New York Times and Washington Post received unauthorized disclosures from Federal employees divulging the secret U.S. raid on Venezuela prior to it occurring,” the draft said. “These leaks put the lives of members of the armed forces at risk.”
The agency also referenced the leak of personal information belonging to approximately 4,500 Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees, including nearly 2,000 front-line enforcement officers. According to the draft, the disclosure included “names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and job titles” and “jeopardized the safety of the agents.”
OPM said it believes a standardized NDA form would help “better protect confidential information” and clarify federal workers’ responsibilities regarding nondisclosure obligations.
The office said the NDA would be issued as an optional form, meaning agencies would decide whether to require employees to sign it.
“Should agencies elect to use the NDA, it would be administered to newly hired employees as part of the onboarding process and to current Federal employees,” the draft said. For new hires, the requirement would also be disclosed in job postings.
While OPM said federal employees would not universally be required to sign the agreements, the proposal warns that refusal could carry consequences.
“Failure to sign may result in removal from federal service and potential debarment for refusal to certify compliance with applicable non-disclosure obligations,” the draft said.
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The proposed form would also serve as a certification that employees “understand and agree to comply with applicable nondisclosure requirements associated with Federal service.”
The notice has already generated backlash from the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union in the United States. The organization condemned the NDA, saying it is “another attempt by the administration to purge the civil service of nonpartisan career employees and replace them with loyalists who won’t speak out against waste, fraud, and abuse.”