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EO 13831Executive OrderTrump 45 · R

Executive Order 13831

Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative

This executive order restructures and rebrands the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives as the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, placing it within the Executive Office of the President under an Advisor housed in the Office of Public Liaison. It amends six prior executive orders with name substitutions, revokes two others, and directs the new Initiative to consult faith and community leaders, integrate faith-based priorities into administration policy, and identify barriers to religious organizations' participation in government-funded activities.

Federal Register Open PDF 83 FR 20715

Impact dates

  1. Agencies without Centers must designate Liaison for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives

  2. Initiative to periodically convene meetings with experts and leaders

  3. Initiative to periodically convene meetings with agency representatives

Key directives

  • Establish White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative within Executive Office of the President
  • Head Initiative with Advisor housed in Office of Public Liaison
  • Amend six prior executive orders with four specific name substitutions
  • Strike section 2(h) of Executive Order 13279 and redesignate subsequent sections
  • Revoke Executive Orders 13199 and 13498
  • Require agencies without Centers to designate Liaison for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives
  • Require all agencies to provide information, support, and assistance to Initiative
  • Convene periodic meetings with faith/community leaders and agency representatives
  • Make policy recommendations through Assistant to President for Domestic Policy
  • Notify Attorney General of concerns about religious liberty compliance
  • Identify and propose means to reduce burdens on religious convictions and barriers to faith-based engagement in government activities

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Establishment of White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative within Executive Office of the President
  • Revocation of Executive Orders 13199 and 13498
  • Amendments to six prior executive orders with name substitutions take effect
  • Agencies without Centers must designate a Liaison for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives

Near term (90d)

  • Advisor to begin consulting with faith and community leaders
  • Initiative to begin convening periodic meetings with experts and agency representatives
  • Agencies to provide information and support to Initiative as requested

Long term

  • Integration of faith-based policy priorities throughout federal government
  • Potential policy recommendations to reduce barriers for religious organizations in government-funded activities
  • Ongoing showcase of faith-based initiatives and monitoring of religious liberty compliance concerns

Risks & tensions

  • Potential church-state separation concerns from closer integration of faith-based organizations into federal policy and funding
  • Vague 'periodic' meeting schedule lacks enforceable structure
  • Religious liberty notification mechanism to Attorney General could politicize compliance disputes
  • No appropriations guaranteed; implementation subject to funding availability as stated in Section 5(b)
  • Broad mandate to 'reduce burdens on religious convictions' in government-funded activities may conflict with anti-discrimination protections; text does not specify how conflicts would be resolved
Executive Order 13831: Establishment of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative · Executive Orders