Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5046
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-26: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2025-09-19T18:56:05Z
AI-Generated Summary
Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act H.R. 5046
Purpose
The legislation requires that appointments and selections to the United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, and United States Air Force Academy be made solely based on merit as determined by a standardized candidate composite score. It prohibits consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions decisions.
Key Provisions
- Candidate Composite Score System: Establishes a uniform composite score for each applicant. The academic component must be weighted at least 60 percent overall, with standardized test scores weighted at least 45 percent. Subjective components are limited to no more than 10 percent total, and any subjective adjustments are capped at 10 percent of the pre-adjustment score. Only composite scores determine order of merit.
- Appointments and Alternates: Requires 300 qualified alternates each year at each academy, selected by composite score rank from nominated and other qualified candidates. Presidential appointments are changed to "up to" 100 candidates selected by merit. Similar "up to" limits apply to Vice Presidential, congressional, and other categories, with merit-based selection.
- Additional Appointees: Updates rules for additional appointments to prioritize candidates who competed unsuccessfully for other nominations, applying the same composite score standards.
- Reporting Requirements: Mandates annual reports to congressional defense committees detailing minimum composite and CEER scores, waiver data (including scores, reasons, and appointment categories), and four-year follow-up on waived cadets/midshipmen (status, GPAs, conduct issues).
- Prohibition: Explicitly bars consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admission determinations.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces references to "competitive examinations" with "candidate composite score rank" for determining merit order.
- Increases the number of ranked alternates that can be submitted from 9 to 14 and adds rules for unranked alternates.
- Removes or adjusts certain fixed appointment categories (e.g., eliminating one category) and caps others with "up to" language tied to merit.
- Introduces new statutory subsections on composite score calculation, waiver reporting, and the protected-characteristics prohibition across the three academies' governing sections in Title 10, U.S. Code.
- Applies composite score rules uniformly to additional appointee selections.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Requires the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force to implement new scoring, selection, and reporting processes at the service academies, potentially affecting admissions offices and data tracking.
- Citizens: Alters the admissions process for applicants by prioritizing objective academic metrics and limiting subjective factors, while expanding opportunities for high-scoring non-selected nominees through alternates.
- International Relations: No direct provisions affect foreign policy or relations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Prospective applicants and their nominators (congressional, presidential, and others).
- Current and future cadets and midshipmen at the three academies.
- Secretaries of the military departments and academy superintendents.
- Congressional committees on armed services, which receive required reports.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Codifies a merit-only admissions framework that aligns with restrictions on using certain demographic factors in selection processes.
- Introduces detailed transparency and accountability mechanisms through mandatory annual reporting on waivers and outcomes.
- May interact with existing equal protection principles by prohibiting specific classifications in federal academy admissions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-26: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2025-08-26: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-26: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act — issued 2025-08-26 — PDF (24 pages)