Trump signs executive orders on college athlete rights, homelessness

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday afternoon that he said would protect the scholarships and opportunities of student-athletes and recognize the importance of college sports. The Saving College Sports order called on officials to preserve and expand scholarship and competition in women’s and non-revenue sports, according to a White House fact sheet. College sports play a critical role in fostering leadership and community, and the urgent threats they face need addressing, namely the commonsense reality that college sports are different from professional sports, according to the fact sheet.

The order barred third-party, pay-for-play payments to college athletes outside of legitimate brand endorsements with fair compensation. Trump also stipulated that any revenue sharing between universities and student athletes should be done in a way that protects women’s and non-revenue sports. Trump called on Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of student-athletes as a means of preserving both non-revenue and college sports. The president also called on Attorney General Pamela Bondi and the Federal Trade Commission to take legal actions to protect student athletes and maintain the stability of college athletics. The White House also planned to consult with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams on how best to protect college athletics as part of the framework for developing American athletes.

Did he sign any others? The president also signed the Ending Crime and Disorder on American Streets order, aimed at reducing homelessness and drug abuse. Trump ordered Bondi to reverse a number of judicial precedents and decrees limiting state and local governments from committing people on the streets who pose a risk to themselves and others. Trump also called on officials to prioritize funding for states and municipalities that ban open use of illicit drugs, track sex offender locations, and prohibit urban camping, loitering, and squatting. The order also redirected funding to ensure that homeless people suffering from serious mental illness or addiction are moved into treatment facilities or an assisted outpatient program. Additionally, Trump called for homelessness programs exclusively for women and children to protect them from sex offenders receiving similar housing assistance.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report about the executive orders Trump issued on Wednesday about artificial intelligence.