Presidential action
Accelerating Access To Veterans' Benefits And Employment Opportunities
Overview
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 Every child deserves a safe and nurturing home where they can learn, grow, and reach their full potential. Adoption makes that possible by opening the door to stability and belonging for children who need a family. During National Adoption Month, we commend the parents whose love has changed lives and the children whose presence has completed families -- and we recommit to caring for the many children still waiting for the comfort and security of a permanent home.Adoption reflects the deep value our Nation places on family and abundant life. As President, I am committed to empowering families who answer the call to open their hearts and homes to children. Through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, I made the adoption tax credit more accessible and expanded the child tax credit, helping remove financial barriers to adopting and allowing families to save more of their income to care for their children. While adoption creates beautiful new beginnings, too many children in our foster care system still wait for a permanent home. During my first term, I took monumental action to strengthen America's foster care and adoption systems by signing into law the landmark Family First Prevention Services Act -- the most sweeping reform of Federal child welfare policy in decades. This law utilizes proven intervention methods to keep families intact and prevent unnecessary separation. This term, I remain firmly committed to continuing this vital work alongside First Lady Melania Trump. Just last week, I signed an Executive Order on Fostering the Future for American Children and Families, to harness Federal support, technology, and strategic partnerships to provide young Americans in, or transitioning out of, the foster-care system with the tools they need to become successful adults. This effort is strengthened by the leadership of the First Lady whose work continues to uplift and protect the well-being of America's children -- ensuring every child has greater access to a strong foundation for the future. This month, we recognize the profound truth that all children are a gift from God, worthy of love, care, and family. We honor the parents and families who welcome children into their homes and provide the stability and guidance every young person deserves. Above all, we commit to protecting children, supporting those who care for them, and strengthening the pillar of family across our great Nation. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as National Adoption Month throughout the United States. I encourage all Americans to observe this month by supporting children in need of a safe and loving home, uplifting the families who welcome them, and helping strengthen the bonds of family and community across our Nation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand thisseventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fiftieth. DONALD J. TRUMP
Full article
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. Millions of brave men and women have served in our Armed Forces with courage, commitment, and sacrifice, guaranteeing our security, prosperity, and freedom. These veterans deserve the best available services in return. However, outdated and unwieldy records management and data systems and procedures hinder military personnel file and medical record sharing between the Department of War and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which complicates the effective transition of military personnel from active-duty service to civilian life. Such complications result in delays in healthcare coverage, benefits processing and payment, education opportunities, and job training and placement for our Nation’s veterans. This order rectifies this problem and ensures that veterans promptly receive the benefits and services to which they are entitled.
Sec. 2. Requiring Prompt Sharing of Military Personnel and Medical Records. (a) The Secretary of War and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall:
(i) within 180 days of the date of this order, establish updated information technology systems and policy guidance and memoranda to ensure, between the Department of War and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the permanent, prospective, and ongoing sharing of all Official Military Personnel Files and Service Treatment Records from the moment an individual enters into military service until such time as he or she no longer requires benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, consistent with 38 U.S.C. 5103A, 38 U.S.C. 8111, 38 U.S.C. 7332(e), 5 U.S.C. 552a, and any other applicable statutes;
(ii) within 180 days of the date of this order, create and deploy new digital tools using artificial intelligence and other emerging capabilities to streamline veterans’ applications for and access to benefits earned through military service in a comprehensive single source that includes job training and opportunities offered by the Department of Labor; and
(iii) within 30 days of the date of this order and at all times thereafter, ensure all current service member Official Military Personnel Files, health records, and Service Treatment Records are shared by the Department of War, or any service component thereof, with the Department of Veterans Affairs immediately when a service member is discharged or released from the Armed Forces.
(b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of War and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), including HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), including OMB’s Federal Chief Information Officer and the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, shall review and modify, to the extent consistent with law and Federal procurement policy, any existing contracts for information technology systems and software relevant to the purpose of this order, including by adding a requirement that such systems be interoperable with any other military personnel records system, health records system, or Service Treatment Records system operated by the Department of War and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and shall ensure that all future contracts for medical and personnel information technology systems and software include this requirement.
Sec. 3. Accelerating Veterans’ Access to Quality Employment. Within 180 days of the date of this order and at all times thereafter as applicable, the Secretary of War, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall update the Transition Assistance Program and other workforce programs authorized at 10 U.S.C. 1142, 10 U.S.C. 1143, 10 U.S.C. 1144, and 38 U.S.C. 4113 to ensure every service member leaving active military service is, to the maximum extent practicable and applicable:
(a) either:
(i) connected to specific, open jobs in fields related to their skills, interests, and the specific goals outlined in America’s Talent Strategy or the Department of War’s Project Patriot Pipeline, prior to separation from active service; or
(ii) enrolled, at his or her discretion, in career and technical education, an eligible Department of Labor-funded employment or training program, or a registered apprenticeship, as applicable, for which he or she has priority under 38 U.S.C. 4215; and
(b) connected with appropriate veterans’ representatives acting on behalf of a Federal, State, or local government to facilitate their application for healthcare, disability, home loan, job placement, or education benefits.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 8, 2026.
Source attribution: View original official record