Executive Order 14291 establishes a new Religious Liberty Commission dedicated to promoting and protecting religious freedom in the United States. The order positions religious liberty as a foundational American value that the administration believes is currently under threat from various government policies. According to the order, certain federal, state, and local policies have attempted to "infringe upon longstanding conscience protections," prevent religious schooling, threaten funding for faith-based entities, and exclude religious groups from government programs. The order explicitly rejects characterizations of religious liberty as being in conflict with civil rights, instead emphasizing religions' historical contributions to civil rights movements.
The newly established Religious Liberty Commission will consist of up to 14 presidential appointees representing diverse sectors including private industry, employers, educational institutions, religious communities, and states, plus three ex officio members: the Attorney General, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. The Commission is tasked with producing a comprehensive report examining religious liberty foundations, current threats, and preservation strategies across numerous specific domains including the rights of religious leaders, attacks on houses of worship, religious expression in schools and the military, conscience protections in healthcare, parental rights in education, and government displays with religious imagery. The Commission will initially serve until July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of American Independence—unless extended by the President.
To support its work, the Commission will be advised by three specialized boards: an Advisory Board of Religious Leaders (up to 15 members), an Advisory Board of Lay Leaders from religious congregations (up to 15 members), and an Advisory Board of Legal Experts (up to 10 attorneys plus the Attorney General or designee). The Department of Justice will provide funding and administrative support for the Commission's activities within existing appropriations. The Commission will advise the White House Faith Office and Domestic Policy Council on religious liberty policies, recommend executive and legislative actions to secure domestic religious freedom, and identify opportunities for partnership with the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom to promote religious liberty globally. The order frames these efforts as necessary to preserve religious liberty against "emerging threats" and to reacquaint Americans with the nation's "superb experiment in religious freedom."