Executive Order 13926: Advancing International Religious Freedom
President: Donald J. Trump
Made international religious freedom a stated U.S. foreign-policy priority and directed State and USAID to plan funding, training and diplomatic action under existing law.
Status: In effect. Sources: Federal Register: Executive Order 13926 · Federal Register 2020 executive order disposition table · USCIRF 2022 annual report · USCIRF 2026 annual report.
Is Executive Order 13926 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13926, signed June 2, 2020, retains its unrevoked international religious-freedom directives, including recurring diplomatic training and annual funding instructions subject to law and appropriations. Its text has no expiration clause.
What does Executive Order 13926 do?
The order assigned these duties: Federal agencies named in the signed order — Made international religious freedom a stated U.S. foreign-policy priority and directed State and USAID to plan funding, training and diplomatic action under existing law.
Later evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: The State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom Report described training of Foreign Affairs personnel required by EO 13926. The training is a documented agency step, not an assessment of religious-freedom outcomes abroad. State Department religious-freedom report.
Before and after
Before the order
The order addressed advancing international religious freedom. The prior legal and administrative context is identified in its linked full text; this review does not assume every prior policy was displaced.
After the order
The signed order’s directions are explained above.
The State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom Report described training of Foreign Affairs personnel required by EO 13926. The training is a documented agency step, not an assessment of religious-freedom outcomes abroad.
Who had to do what
| Agency / official | What the signed order directed | Deadline / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Develop a foreign-policy/assistance religious-freedom plan with USAID; budget at least $50 million annually subject to law and appropriations. Direct covered Chiefs of Mission to prepare action plans, advocate in bilateral/multilateral forums, and require training for Foreign Affairs Series employees. With Treasury and the National Security assistant, recommend economic tools. | Policy plan within 180 days; budget each fiscal year; required training at least once every three years. No fixed action-plan or economic-recommendation deadline. |
| USAID Administrator | Consult on the policy plan and annual funding; advocate religious-freedom policy in bilateral and multilateral forums when directed by State. | Plan within 180 days; funding each fiscal year. |
| Secretary of the Treasury | With State and the National Security assistant, recommend economic tools; in consultation with State, may consider Global Magnitsky sanctions. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs | Consult with State and Treasury on recommended economic tools. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Chiefs of Mission in countries specified by section 4(a) | Develop comprehensive religious-freedom action plans when directed by State, supporting US efforts and encouraging host-government progress. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Agency heads funding foreign assistance | Ensure eligible faith-based and religious entities are not excluded from funding competition because of religious identity or belief, as permitted by law. | Ongoing; no fixed deadline. |
| Heads of agencies assigning personnel overseas | Submit plans for incorporating religious-freedom training before qualifying overseas assignments, deployments, or stays of at least 30 days in one location. | Plans to the President through the National Security assistant within 90 days; training before assignments and at least once every three years. |
| All agency heads | When appropriate and coordinated with State, raise religious-freedom concerns and religious-imprisonment cases in meetings with foreign counterparts. | When appropriate; no fixed deadline. |
| Federal employees covered by section 5 | Complete required international religious-freedom training. | At least once every three years. |
Source: Signed Federal Register text.
What happened next
EO 13926 signed; its Federal Register publication followed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The Federal Register record identifies EO 13926, its title and signing date. The State Department’s 2023 International Religious Freedom Report described training of Foreign Affairs personnel required by EO 13926. The training is a documented agency step, not an assessment of religious-freedom outcomes abroad. The linked source supports this particular later event; it does not establish every present legal or operational effect.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- State Department religious-freedom report (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →