By the authority vested in me as President by the Structure and the legal guidelines of the US of America, it’s hereby ordered:
Part 1. Objective. The continued use of paper-based funds by the Federal Authorities, together with checks and cash orders, flowing into and out of the US Normal Fund, which may be considered America’s checking account, imposes pointless prices; delays; and dangers of fraud, misplaced funds, theft, and inefficiencies. Mail theft complaints have elevated considerably for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally, Division of the Treasury checks are 16 instances extra more likely to be reported misplaced or stolen, returned undeliverable, or altered than an digital funds switch (EFT). Sustaining the bodily infrastructure and specialised know-how for digitizing paper information value the American taxpayer over $657 million in Fiscal 12 months 2024 alone.
This order promotes operational effectivity by mandating the transition to digital funds for all Federal disbursements and receipts by digitizing funds to the extent permissible beneath relevant legislation (however not, for avoidance of doubt, to determine a Central Financial institution Digital Forex).
Sec. 2. Coverage. It’s the coverage of the US to defend towards monetary fraud and improper funds, enhance effectivity, cut back prices, and improve the safety of Federal funds.
Sec. 3. Section Out of Paper Test Disbursements and Receipts. (a) Efficient September 30, 2025, and to the extent permitted by legislation, the Secretary of the Treasury shall stop issuing paper checks for all Federal disbursements inclusive of intragovernmental funds, advantages funds, vendor funds, and tax refunds, besides as laid out in part 4 of this order.
(b) All govt departments and businesses (businesses) shall adjust to this directive by transitioning to EFT strategies, together with direct deposit, pay as you go card accounts, and different digital fee choices, and take all steps essential to enroll recipients in EFT funds, besides as laid out in part 4 of this order.
(c) As quickly as practicable, and to the extent permitted by legislation, all funds made to the Federal Authorities shall be processed electronically, besides as laid out in part 4 of this order.
(d) The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Well being and Human Companies, the Secretary of Schooling, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Safety shall take applicable motion to remove the necessity for the Division of the Treasury’s bodily lockbox companies and expedite necessities to obtain the fee of Federal receipts, together with charges, fines, loans, and taxes, by digital means besides as laid out in part 4 of this order.
(e) The Secretary of the Treasury shall assist businesses’ transition to digital fee strategies, together with by offering entry by the Division of the Treasury’s centralized fee methods to:
(i) direct deposits;
(ii) debit and bank card funds;
(iii) digital wallets and real-time fee methods; and
(iv) different fashionable digital fee choices.
Sec. 4. Exceptions and Lodging for the Section Out of Paper Test Disbursements and Receipts. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, shall assessment and, as applicable, revise procedures for granting restricted exceptions the place digital fee and assortment strategies aren’t possible, together with exceptions for:
(i) people who wouldn’t have entry to banking companies or digital fee methods;
(ii) sure emergency funds the place digital disbursement would trigger undue hardship, as contemplated in 31 C.F.R. Half 208;
(iii) nationwide security- or legislation enforcement-related actions the place non-EFT transactions are mandatory or fascinating; and
(iv) different circumstances as decided by the Secretary of the Treasury, as mirrored in laws or different steering.
(b) People or entities qualifying for an exception beneath this part or different relevant legislation shall be offered various fee choices.
Sec. 5. Implementation and Compliance of Digital Transactions. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the heads of businesses, shall develop and implement a complete public consciousness marketing campaign to tell Federal fee recipients of the transition to digital funds, together with steering on accessing and establishing digital fee choices.
(b) Businesses shall coordinate with the Division of the Treasury to facilitate a easy transition to digital funds, guaranteeing that affected people and entities obtain sufficient assist.
(c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall work with monetary establishments, client teams, and different stakeholders to handle monetary entry for unbanked and underbanked populations.
(d) The Secretary of the Treasury and the heads of businesses shall take all mandatory steps to guard categorized info and methods, in addition to personally identifiable info and tax return info, by the implementation of this order.
Sec. 6. Reporting Necessities. (a) The heads of businesses shall submit a compliance plan to the Director of the Workplace of Administration and Finances inside 90 days of the date of this order detailing their technique for eliminating paper-based transactions.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit an implementation report back to the President by the Assistant to the President for Financial Coverage inside 180 days of the date of this order detailing progress on the issues set forth on this order.
Sec. 7. Normal Provisions. (a) Nothing on this order shall be construed to impair or in any other case have an effect on:
(i) the authority granted by legislation to an govt division or company, or the top thereof; or
(ii) the capabilities of the Director of the Workplace of Administration and Finances regarding budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be carried out per relevant legislation and topic to the supply of appropriations.
(c) This order isn’t supposed to, and doesn’t, create any proper or profit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at legislation or in fairness by any occasion towards the US, its departments, businesses, or entities, its officers, staff, or brokers, or every other individual.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 25, 2025.
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