Increasing Economic and Geographic Mobility

The order directs the head of every executive agency to review its regulations, guidance, and policies within 90 days and every two years after, identifying changes needed to align with six stated principles of least-restrictive occupational licensing. Each agency must submit findings to the Director of OMB, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Separately, agencies must recommend actions to recognize and reward states, territories, and tribes that adopt licensing policies consistent with those principles. The Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy must compile a consolidated report to the President within 120 days, and the Small Business Administration must gather and publicly release information on state compliance within 180 days.

The order does not itself repeal or change any occupational licensing regulation. Implementation of recommended reforms is contingent on presidential approval of recommended actions, subsequent agency rulemaking, and the availability of appropriations. Standard severability language preserves existing agency authorities, and the order creates no enforceable rights.

All federal executive agencies directed to review their regulations; the Small Business Administration, Departments of Commerce, Labor, and HHS tasked with specific reports. Downstream, the order targets state, territorial, and tribal occupational licensing boards, and ultimately workers — especially military spouses, low-income job seekers, and individuals with criminal records — who face licensing barriers.

Workers who must re-license when crossing state lines — particularly military spouses — and applicants blocked by criminal history could see licensing barriers eased if states respond to federal recognition incentives. However, no licensing rule changes until agencies act on future recommendations and states choose to reform.

The order creates a layered reporting cascade. First, individual agency heads review their own rules (90 days) and submit reports to OMB and White House domestic policy staff. Then, the Domestic Policy Assistant synthesizes agency input and reports to the President (120 days). The SBA, consulting Commerce and Labor, then surveys states on compliance and posts results publicly (180 days). All steps recur every two years. No regulatory change takes effect until the President approves recommended actions, at which point agencies implement recognition-and-reward measures consistent with applicable law and appropriations.