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1 Executive Order 14291 of May 1, 2025: Establishment of Religious Liberty Commission 19417 (2025)

handle is hein.religion/excrlc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Federal Register/Vol. 90, No. 87/Wednesday, May 7, 2025/Presidential Documents 19417 Presidential Documents Executive Order 14291 of May 1, 2025 Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose and Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce the historic and robust protections for religious liberty enshrined in Federal law. The Founders envisioned a Nation in which religious voices and views are integral to a vibrant public square and human flourishing and in which religious people and institutions are free to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or hostility from the Government. Indeed, the roots of religious liberty stretch back to the early settlers who fled religious persecution in Europe, seeking a new world where they could choose, follow, and practice their faith without interference from the Govern- ment. The principle of religious liberty was enshrined in American law with the First Amendment to the Constitution in 1791. Since that time, the Constitution has protected the fundamental right to religious liberty as Americans' first freedom. During my first term, I issued Executive Order 13798 of May 4, 2017 (Pro- moting Free Speech and Religious Liberty). Pursuant to that order, the Attor- ney General issued a memorandum for all executive departments and agen- cies (agencies) titled Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty on October 6, 2017. The Supreme Court has also continued to vindicate the Founders' commitment to religious liberty, including by giving effect to the principle that religious voices should be welcomed on an equal basis in the public square. In recent years, some Federal, State, and local policies have threatened America's unique and beautiful tradition of religious liberty. These policies attempt to infringe upon longstanding conscience protections, prevent parents from sending their children to religious schools, threaten loss of funding or denial of non-profit tax status for faith-based entities, and single out religious groups and institutions for exclusion from governmental programs. Some opponents of religious liberty would remove religion entirely from public life. Others characterize religious liberty as inconsistent with civil rights, despite religions' vital roles in the abolition of slavery; the passage of Federal civil rights laws; and the provision of indispensable social, edu- cational, and health services. President Ronald Reagan reminded us that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. Americans need to be reacquainted with our Nation's superb experiment in religious freedom in order to preserve it against emerging threats. Therefore, the Federal Government will promote citizens' pride in our foundational history, identify emerging threats to reli- gious liberty, uphold Federal laws that protect all citizens' full participation in a pluralistic democracy, and protect the free exercise of religion. Sec. 2. Establishment of the Religious Liberty Commission. (a) There is hereby established the Religious Liberty Commission (Commission). (b) The Commission shall function as follows: (i) The Commission shall be composed of up to 14 members appointed by the President. Members of the Commission shall include individuals chosen to serve as educated representatives of various sectors of society, including the private sector, employers, educational institutions, religious communities, and States, to offer diverse perspectives on how the Federal