Hello, White House!
The final week of former President O.Stuart.O’s administration brought another round of legislative activity, with five Bills receiving presidential signature before the conclusion of his term.
This package touches several distinct areas of White House law: the regulation of Veterans and external statuses, recognition for service within defense and security, deadlines for Supreme Court Interpretation Requests, safeguards surrounding Votes of No Confidence, and a substantial reform of the Leave of Absence framework.
Some of these measures still depend upon successful judicial review before entering into force, while others are governed by presidential proclamation.
With that distinction in mind, here is what has been signed.
TREASURY (EXTERNAL AFFAIRS REGULATIONS) ACT 2026
Government Bill
Status: Proclaimed and in force
One of the most extensive measures signed during the President’s final week was the Treasury (External Affairs Regulations) Act 2026.
The Act substantially expands the responsibilities of the Department of the Treasury and introduces a statutory framework governing Veterans, Distinguished Guests, Very Important Persons and Financial Contributors.
The legislation was formally proclaimed by President O.Stuart.O on 23 September 2026, bringing it into immediate effect.
An expanded Treasury role
Under the amended Treasury Act, the Department of the Treasury is responsible for overseeing the conduct, admission and behaviour of Veterans, VIPs, Distinguished Guests and Financial Contributors within registered White House rooms and on the official website.
The Department’s statutory membership includes:
the Secretary of the Treasury;
the Secretary of Commerce;
members of the [WH] Founder ID; and
any other members added by law or the Administration.
But the largest changes concern the four external statuses themselves.
Veteran Status
The Act creates a dedicated statutory framework for Veteran Status.
To qualify for admission under the new framework, an individual must generally:
have been employed continuously at the White House for at least six months; and
have held a position of GS-17 or above.
Existing Veterans admitted before proclamation are protected from the new admission requirements.
Veterans are also granted the right to enter White House headquarters while wearing an appropriate universal badge, subject to the wider rules established elsewhere in White House law.
Consultatory Veterans
Perhaps the most distinctive addition is the establishment of Consultatory Veterans.
Veterans who are no longer employed under a White House contract may apply to become a Consultatory Veteran within a branch.
Each branch may ordinarily have no more than two Consultatory Veterans at one time.
Where a branch has fewer than twenty employees, its Branch Leader may have only one Consultatory Veteran.
Their duties are determined by the relevant Branch Leader, and either the Branch Leader or Consultatory Veteran may terminate the arrangement.
The system therefore creates a formal mechanism through which experienced former employees may continue advising active branches without returning to ordinary employment.
Distinguished Guest Status
The Act also establishes admission, privileges and termination rules for Distinguished Guests.
Eligibility generally requires an individual to have previously held GS-12 or above for at least three weeks, whether continuously or non-continuously, with that service recorded on their Employee Database profile.
Distinguished Guests may enter headquarters while displaying the appropriate universal badge.
The legislation also establishes specific rules governing access to the VIP Room for Distinguished Guests who remain active employees below GS-12.
VIP and Financial Contributor Status
The Treasury Act now formally regulates both Very Important Person and Financial Contributor status.
Admission thresholds are set at:
100 credits for VIP status; and
250 credits for Financial Contributor status.
Another person may voluntarily make the required payment on an individual’s behalf.
The Executive Office of the President and Department of the Treasury retain authority to decline admission.
The Act also confirms that payments are non-refundable where either status is terminated or voluntarily surrendered.
Removal and accountability
The new framework establishes mechanisms through which these statuses may be removed for violations of White House law, rules or convention.
It also addresses individuals appearing on the Ban on Sight or National Punishment lists and provides a role for the Courts in terminating or, in certain circumstances, restoring a status.
The legislation additionally establishes rights concerning lawsuits between employees and individuals holding the various external statuses.
Taken together, the Act moves Veterans, Distinguished Guests, VIPs and Financial Contributors away from primarily administrative arrangements and places them within a detailed statutory framework.
DEFENSE AND SECURITY SERVICE MEDAL ACT 2026
Sponsored by ICEMAN
Status: Signed | Awaiting successful judicial review
The White House awards system may soon gain another formal decoration.
The Defense and Security Service Medal Act 2026, establishes the Defense and Security Service Medal for exceptional service relating to the defense and security of the White House.
The official description of the award is:
“Awarded in recognition of exceptional service and commitment to the defense and security of the White House and the collective good.”
Who may award it?
Awarding authority is shared between:
the Director of the Secret Service; and
the Secretary of Defense.
Both may award the Medal to individuals serving within White House security or defense functions.
Neither officeholder may award the Medal to themself.
There is no statutory numerical limit on the number of awards that may be made, provided each award complies with the Act.
The Director of the Secret Service or Secretary of Defense may also revoke the Medal where a recipient is placed on a list established under Part 4 of the Defense Act 2025.
Public record
The Digital Services Agency will be responsible for maintaining a digital space on the White House website displaying recipients.
It must also provide a website tool through which awards and revocations can be recorded.
Both the Director of the Secret Service and Secretary of Defense will be authorised to operate that tool.
The sponsor’s stated purpose is to establish a formal recognition mechanism for service within defense and security alongside the existing recognition systems associated with other areas of White House government.
Any future primary legislation seeking to amend the Act must receive responses from both the Director of the Secret Service and Secretary of Defense.
The Act will take effect following a successful judicial review.
PROSECUTION (SUPREME COURT INTERPRETATION REQUESTS DEADLINE) ACT 2026
Status: Signed | Awaiting successful judicial review
This Bill addresses how quickly the Supreme Court must respond to formal requests for statutory interpretation.
The Prosecution (Supreme Court Interpretation Requests Deadline) Act 2026 introduces a mandatory ten-calendar-day determination period for Interpretation Requests.
Under the amended framework, any person may submit an Interpretation Request to the Supreme Court through the appropriate official White House channel.
The Supreme Court must then issue a Final Written Determination no later than ten calendar days after formal submission.
The day immediately following submission becomes day one of the statutory period.
What counts as a final determination?
The legislation draws an important distinction between a decision and a simple acknowledgment.
A Final Written Determination must either:
provide a written interpretation resolving the question presented; or
formally dismiss or decline the request on jurisdictional or procedural grounds.
An acknowledgment, notice that the matter is being considered, or another preliminary communication does not satisfy the deadline.
Responsible Justice
The Act also identifies who carries responsibility for ensuring that the deadline is met.
The succession is:
the Chief Justice;
the Deputy Chief Justice;
a Senior Associate Justice; or
the most senior and highest-ranking Judicial Leadership member.
Where two individuals of the same rank would otherwise qualify, the person with the longest experience within the Judicial Branch becomes the Responsible Justice.
The Chief Justice may formally assign a request to the Deputy Chief Justice or a Senior Associate Justice, at which point that Justice assumes responsibility for the statutory deadline.
The Department of Justice must also notify the Chief Justice of an Interpretation Request no later than the calendar day following its submission.
No automatic dismissal after ten days
The ten-day deadline cannot be extended.
However, missing the deadline does not cause the Interpretation Request itself to expire.
An unresolved request remains pending before the Supreme Court until a Final Written Determination is eventually issued.
Where a Responsible Justice fails, without reasonable justification, to issue the determination within the statutory period, the Act provides that this constitutes Negligence of Duties under the Crimes Act 2025.
Reassigning the case after the deadline has already expired does not remove potential liability from the Justice responsible when the deadline elapsed.
The explanatory material accompanying the Bill also states that the reform is intended to give statutory effect to the Supreme Court’s ruling in SC-64 concerning jurisdiction over Interpretation Hearings.
The Act will take effect following a successful judicial review.
NO CONFIDENCE (COOL IT) ACT 2026
Status: Signed | Awaiting successful judicial review
The rules surrounding Votes of No Confidence are also receiving additional safeguards.
The No Confidence (Cool it) Act 2026, written by Senator for New York Owen?, introduces two principal restrictions intended to regulate repeated VNC attempts against Branch Leaders.
Seven-day membership requirement
Members supporting the initiation of a Vote of No Confidence must have belonged to the relevant branch for at least seven continuous days.
This means newly hired or newly transferred members cannot immediately be counted toward the support required to initiate a VNC.
Ten-day cooldown
Where a Vote of No Confidence fails because it does not achieve the required result, another VNC against the same Branch Leader ordinarily cannot be initiated for ten days.
There is, however, an exception.
A further VNC may be initiated before the ten-day period expires where there are at least twelve verified supporters.
The amendment therefore does not establish an absolute prohibition on another confidence challenge during the cooldown period. Instead, it requires a higher level of verified support before an early second attempt may proceed.
The reform adds an additional procedural layer to the No Confidence framework while preserving the ability to initiate another vote where sufficient branch support exists.
The Act will take effect following a successful judicial review.
EMPLOYMENT (LOA AMENDMENT) ACT 2026
Status: Signed | Commencement upon presidential proclamation
The final Bill in this report reforms the White House Leave of Absence system.
The Employment (LoA Amendment) Act 2026 introduces a new advance-notice requirement and restructures the amount of leave available to employees.
48-hour advance notice
Under the amendment, all Leave of Absence requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before the requested start date.
The rationale provided with the Bill is that leadership already has up to 48 hours to consider an LOA request, so employees should provide equivalent advance notice before their leave begins.
This gives leadership time to consider the application and make operational arrangements for the employee’s absence.
Up to 31 days of leave
The legislation also changes the standard duration of a Leave of Absence.
The existing range of 3 to 21 days is replaced with a range of:
5 to 31 days.
The Bill also removes provisions associated with the separate Extended Leave of Absence framework.
The sponsor’s explanatory material states that this is because ordinary employees will now be able to request up to 31 days through the standard LOA system, making a separate extended-leave category unnecessary.
The result is a consolidated Leave of Absence structure providing employees with a longer maximum period while requiring requests to be submitted further in advance.
Unlike the three Bills above, this Act does not provide for commencement following judicial review.
Its commencement clause states that it takes effect upon proclamation by the President.
THE FINAL LEGISLATIVE WEEK OF THE O.STUART.O ADMINISTRATION
These five measures formed part of the final legislative activity signed by O.Stuart.O during his last week as President.
Together, they cover markedly different areas of White House governance.
The Treasury (External Affairs Regulations) Act 2026 creates an extensive legal framework for Veterans and other external statuses and has already been proclaimed into law.
Two measures sponsored by ICEMAN introduce new institutional frameworks: one establishing the Defense and Security Service Medal, and another imposing a statutory deadline on Supreme Court Interpretation Requests.
The No Confidence (Cool it) Act 2026 adds membership and cooldown safeguards to the VNC process.
Finally, the Employment (LoA Amendment) Act 2026 restructures Leave of Absence procedures by introducing advance notice and allowing ordinary LOAs of up to 31 days.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The five Bills are not all at the same stage of commencement.
Already in force
The Treasury (External Affairs Regulations) Act 2026 was proclaimed by President O.Stuart.O on 23 September 2026 and took immediate effect.
Requiring successful judicial review
Three Acts expressly require a successful judicial review before taking effect:
Defense and Security Service Medal Act 2026;
Prosecution (Supreme Court Interpretation Requests Deadline) Act 2026; and
No Confidence (Cool it) Act 2026.
Commencement by proclamation
The Employment (LoA Amendment) Act 2026 provides that it takes effect upon presidential proclamation.
Accordingly, presidential signature and legal commencement should remain distinguished where the applicable Act establishes an additional commencement requirement.
And with that, we come to the end of Legislative Report XIII.
This edition closes out the legislative activity submitted from the final week of the O.Stuart.O administration: new statutory protections and procedures, a new service medal, significant reforms to Treasury external affairs, and changes affecting both congressional accountability mechanisms and everyday employment administration.
As a new presidential term begins, the legislative process continues.
There will be further Bills to examine, judicial reviews to follow, proclamations to record and changes to explain.
Until the next report, stay informed, stay curious, and keep an eye on Congress.
Thank you for reading, and I look forward to welcoming you back in the next edition.
Signed,
Press Sec.
Former President of the White House
Sec. of Defense
House Clerk GS-13 Comms FSO Press
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