in effect
Executive Order 14342, signed August 25, 2025, is a presidential directive instructing federal agencies to identify and potentially cut off federal funding to states and local governments that have eliminated or substantially reduced cash bail as a condition of pretrial release. It establishes an administration policy against supporting “cashless bail” jurisdictions with federal resources.
Within 30 days of the order (by approximately September 24, 2025), the Attorney General must deliver to the President a list of states and localities that have, in the Attorney General’s judgment, substantially eliminated cash bail for crimes including violent offenses, sexual offenses, indecent acts, burglary, looting, or vandalism. Every federal department and agency must then, working with the Office of Management and Budget, identify federal grants and contracts currently flowing to those listed jurisdictions that could be suspended or terminated. The Attorney General is required to keep the list updated as jurisdictions’ bail policies change. No federal funding is automatically cut by the order itself — agencies must first identify eligible funds, and any actual suspension or termination must be “consistent with applicable law.”
State and local governments that have enacted no-cash or low-cash bail laws or policies may face review and potential loss of federal grants and contracts if the Attorney General places them on the list. Residents of those jurisdictions could be indirectly affected if federal funding for local programs is ultimately reduced. The order creates no individual legal rights and cannot itself be used as the basis for a lawsuit against the federal government.