President Biden made a change last week to how the Pentagon handles cases of sexual assaults. He signed an executive order that removes the handling of those cases from the military chain of command, putting them instead in the hands of independent military prosecutors.

“Today, I signed an executive order strengthening how our military handles sexual assault and serious offenses,” Biden posted Friday on his official X account. “Ending gender-based violence has been a priority for me throughout my career. This represents a turning point for survivors of gender-based violence in the military.”

Many of the changes in the executive order come from recommendations made by the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, which Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin created in 2021, as a DOD news article reported.

White House photo via X