II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4765 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the inclusion of certain 

personally identifying information from the information furnished to promotion selection boards for commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 30 (legislative day, SEPTEMBER 29), 2020 

Mr. YOUNG (for himself and Mrs. SHAHEEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the 

inclusion of certain personally identifying information 

from the information furnished to promotion selection 

boards for commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combating Bias in 

5 Military Promotions Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF INCLUSION OF CERTAIN PERSON2 ALLY IDENTIFYING INFORMATION FROM IN3 FORMATION FURNISHED TO PROMOTION SE4 LECTION BOARDS FOR COMMISSIONED OFFI5 CERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 

6 (a) REGULAR OFFICERS.—Section 615 of title 10, 

7 United States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (b)— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of the mili10 tary department concerned’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary of the 

12 military department concerned’’; 

13 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘the 

14 names’’ and inserting ‘‘the identifiers’’; 

15 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘whose 

16 name’’ and inserting ‘‘whose identifier’’; and 

17 (D) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘sub18 section (c)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (d)’’; 

19 (2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and 

20 (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and 

21 (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol22 lowing new subsection (c): 

23 ‘‘(c)(1) Information on an officer furnished to a selec24 tion board under this section may not include any informa25 tion that indicates the sex, age, or race of the officer, or 

26 a photograph of the officer. 


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1 ‘‘(2) In any information so furnished, an officer shall 

2 be identified through a unique identifier employed by the 

3 Secretary of the military department concerned for that 

4 purpose, rather than by the use of, or explicit reference 

5 to, the officer’s name.’’. 

6 (b) RESERVE OFFICERS.—Section 14107 of title 10, 

7 United States Code, is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (b)— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of the mili10 tary department concerned’’ and inserting 

11 ‘‘Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary of the 

12 military department concerned’’; 

13 (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘The 

14 name’’ and inserting ‘‘The identifier’’; and 

15 (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘the 

16 name’’ and inserting ‘‘the identifier’’; and 

17 (2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 

18 subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and 

19 (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol20 lowing new subsection (c): 

21 ‘‘(c) OMISSION OF CERTAIN PERSONALLY IDENTI22 FYING INFORMATION.—(1) Information on an officer fur23 nished to a selection board under this section may not in24 clude any information that indicates the sex, age, or race 

25 of the officer, or a photograph of the officer. 


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•S 4765 IS

1 ‘‘(2) In any information so furnished, an officer shall 

2 be identified through a unique identifier employed by the 

3 Secretary of the military department concerned for that 

4 purpose, rather than by the use of, or explicit reference 

5 to, the officer’s name.’’. 

6 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

7 this section shall take effect on the date that is two years 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply 

9 with respect to activities of promotion selection boards 

10 convened under section 611(a) or 14101(a) of title 10, 

11 United States Code, on or after that date. 

Æ 


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