in effect
This is a presidential proclamation — a formal ceremonial declaration — issued by President Donald Trump on September 25, 2025, designating Sunday, September 28, 2025, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day. It formally honors families who have lost a family member in U.S. military service. The legal basis is a 1936 act of Congress (Senate Joint Resolution 115) that permanently established the last Sunday of September each year for this observance.
The proclamation does not create new law, programs, benefits, or spending. It officially names September 28, 2025 as the observance day for that calendar year. It directs all federal government officials to fly the U.S. flag over government buildings on that date. It encourages (but does not require) private citizens to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies. The proclamation also references a prior meeting the President held with families of the 13 service members killed during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, though no policy or legal action follows from that reference within this document.
Federal agencies and officials are directly directed to display the U.S. flag over government buildings on September 28, 2025. Gold Star Families — those who have lost a spouse, child, parent, or sibling in active military service — are the intended honorees of the observance. The general public is encouraged, on a voluntary basis, to participate through flag display or ceremonies, but faces no legal obligation.