President Donald Trump’s new executive order is a major win for public safety, tying federal funding to the rejection of cashless bail policies. This bold step makes clear that cities and states cannot expect taxpayer dollars while embracing policies that put dangerous offenders back on the streets.
It’s important to note that the order does not impact state-regulated surety bail bonds—the bonds written every day by licensed bail agents to ensure defendants appear in court. Those systems remain intact, effective, and fully within state authority.
Where the executive order does have consequences is in federal grants and funding streams that have increasingly been used to support programs that weaken accountability, such as certain pretrial release initiatives designed to eliminate cash bail altogether. These grant-funded programs often operate with little oversight, releasing defendants with no financial stake in returning to court and shifting risk back onto the community.
By threatening to withhold federal funding, the administration is signaling that jurisdictions cannot rely on taxpayers to subsidize policies that undermine public safety. This push encourages states and municipalities to return to systems that actually work—systems where accountability is clear, victims are protected, and defendants are incentivized to appear in court.
For the bail bond industry, this order reinforces what we already know: surety bail remains the most reliable, proven mechanism to secure court appearance and protect communities. No government-funded program can replicate the accountability, supervision, and real-world success that professional bail agents provide.
