Executive Orders: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Last updated February 12, 2025
Below are executive orders related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that are most likely to impact the professions and those you serve. Some executive orders rescind executive orders from previous Administrations. ASHA will update this information periodically.
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ASHA is providing this information to its members and others for educational purposes only. The information provided on this webpage should not be construed or relied on as legal advice or opinion. Readers should consult with their own legal counsel before making any decisions regarding this information.
Summary: Executive Order 14170 prevents the federal government from considering factors such as an individual’s race, gender identity, sex, or religion during the hiring process and from “the hiring of individuals who are unwilling to defend the Constitution or to faithfully serve the Executive Branch.” It also establishes a hiring timeline, agency-wide hiring practices, and a Federal Hiring Plan with recommendations from the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Impact: This new executive order will impact how individuals are selected for federal positions and how timely vacancies are filled. It will also affect the composition of the workforce and restrict the spectrum of perspectives within the federal workforce. Impacted positions include—but are not limited to—clinicians in federally governed settings such as Veterans Affairs hospitals, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Significant vacancies could impact science and research, as well as how efficiently government agencies function. For example, providers could experience delays or changes in the processing of Medicare claims.
Status: On January 30, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14173 requires all federal executive departments and agencies to terminate DEI and DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) practices, which are referred to as “discriminatory and illegal preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance, regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and requirements.” It also orders all agencies to enforce longstanding civil rights laws and to “combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” Furthermore, it directs the Attorney General to submit a report, within 120 days of the order, with “recommendations for enforcing Federal civil-rights laws and taking other appropriate measures to encourage the private sector to end illegal discrimination and preferences, including DEI.” Preferences for veterans are allowed under this order.
Impact: While the focus of the executive order is on federal agencies, any facilities, practices, or institutions that have DEI or DEIA programs could be subject to investigation for filing a false claim (False Claims Act liability) if they are funded by a federal grant, contract with a federal agency, or bill the government via Medicare or Medicaid while maintaining such a program. Furthermore, any individual or entity can file a False Claims Act lawsuit and report the existence of DEI or DEIA programs. Individuals who report under the False Claims Act are incentivized to do so as they get a monetary cut of successfully adjudicated lawsuits against those filing false claims (e.g., facilities with DEI programs). Given the executive order’s attempt to reach the private sector, this could also impact certification and licensing standards. In addition, DEIA includes individuals with disabilities. Requirements to provide communication access (e.g., access to sign language interpreters) and accessibility in general could be at risk with the elimination of DEI and DEIA policies and programs.
Organizations whose service delivery or practices could be impacted by this executive order should seek legal counsel to provide guidance regarding compliance with this order as well as with existing state and federal laws.
Status: On January 31, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
Summary: Executive Order 14151 directs the termination of all federal DEI and environmental justice programs, positions, and initiatives implemented under previous administrations in favor of merit-based practices. It also directs agencies to report on any federal grantees who engage in activities related to DEI, DEIA, or “environmental justice.”
Impact: This executive order will require many federal agencies to make significant policy shifts that will eliminate a wide range of DEI-related programs and initiatives. For example, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, speech, language, and hearing scientists, and students who receive federal research grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, or Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, could lose their funding or positions if they are perceived as engaging in DEI or DEIA. The professions frequently work on research to identify and respond to accessibility factors―not preferences―that impact people with disabilities.
Organizations impacted by this executive order should (1) consider the impact of removing DEI- and DEI-related programs and practices and (2) seek legal counsel to provide guidance regarding compliance with this executive order as well as with existing state and federal laws.
Status: On January 29, 2025, this executive order was published in the Federal Register [PDF] and is in effect.
