I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 978 

To deauthorize the Military Selective Service Act, including the registration 

requirement and the activities of civilian local boards, civilian appeal 

boards, and similar local agencies of the Selective Service System, except 

during a national emergency declared by the President, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2013 

Mr. COFFMAN (for himself, Mr. DEFAZIO, and Mrs. ROBY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To deauthorize the Military Selective Service Act, including 

the registration requirement and the activities of civilian 

local boards, civilian appeal boards, and similar local 

agencies of the Selective Service System, except during 

a national emergency declared by the President, 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 ‘‘National Emergency 

5 Selective Service Act’’. 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 978 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress makes the following findings: 

3 (1) Congress has not given serious consider4 ation to conscription since establishing the current 

5 Selective Service System in 1979. 

6 (2) The Department of Defense has neither 

7 plans nor the capabilities to deal with conscription, 

8 were conscription under the Military Selective Serv9 ice Act ever reimposed. 

10 (3) The amendments made by this section 

11 would allow approximately 175 Reserve officers to 

12 return to more important duties. 

13 (4) The estimated savings of $24.2 million an14 nually from the amendments made by this Act would 

15 be better used to reduce the Federal budget deficit. 

16 SEC. 3. DEAUTHORIZATION OF MILITARY SELECTIVE SERV17 ICE ACT EXCEPT DURING NATIONAL EMER18 GENCIES. 

19 (a) RESTRICTION OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT

20 TO NATIONAL EMERGENCY.—Section 3 of the Military Se21 lective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453) is amended— 

22 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Except as 

23 otherwise provided in this title,’’ and inserting ‘‘Dur24 ing any period in which a declaration of national 

25 emergency is in effect under subsection (c),’’; and 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 978 IH

1 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub2 sections: 

3 ‘‘(c) DECLARATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.— 

4 The President shall have the authority to declare, by Exec5 utive order, a period of national emergency during which 

6 the registration requirements of subsection (a) shall apply. 

7 The President shall provide for the prompt termination 

8 of the declaration of national emergency upon the termi9 nation of the national emergency. 

10 ‘‘(d) DEAUTHORIZATION OF REGISTRATION RE11 QUIREMENT.—Unless a declaration of national emergency 

12 is in effect pursuant to subsection (c), on and after the 

13 date of the enactment of the National Emergency Selective 

14 Service Act, no person shall be registered for possible in15 duction for training and service in the Armed Forces, in16 cluding persons who were subject to such registration re17 quirements before that date but who had not complied 

18 with such registration requirements by that date.’’. 

19 (b) SUSPENSION OF LOCAL BOARDS, APPEAL

20 BOARDS, AND OTHER SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM

21 AGENCIES; SAFEGUARDING DATA.—Section 10 of the 

22 Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 460) is 

23 amended— 

24 (1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 

25 following new sentence: ‘‘Whenever operations of the 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 978 IH

1 Selective Service System are suspended under sub2 section (i), the Secretary of Defense shall assume re3 sponsibility for security of Selective Service System 

4 data bases.’’; and 

5 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub6 section: 

7 ‘‘(i) Unless a declaration of national emergency is in 

8 effect pursuant to section 3(c), the President may not ap9 point a person as a member of a civilian local board, civil10 ian appeal board, or similar local agency of the Selective 

11 Service System, and any such board established under 

12 subsection (b)(3) may not meet.’’. 

13 (c) SUSPENSION OF SANCTIONS FOR PERSONS SUB14 JECT TO REGISTRATION.—Section 12 of the Military Se15 lective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App. 462) is amended by 

16 adding at the end the following new subsection: 

17 ‘‘(h) In addition to the exception provided by sub18 section (g), a person may not be denied a right, privilege, 

19 benefit, or employment position under Federal law on the 

20 grounds that the person failed to present himself for and 

21 submit to registration under section 3 unless a declaration 

22 of national emergency is in effect pursuant to subsection 

23 (c) of such section.’’. 

24 (d) RESTRICTION ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPRO25 PRIATIONS.—Section 17(b) of the Military Selective ServVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:25 Mar 07, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H978.IH H978

pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 978 IH

1 ice Act (50 U.S.C. App. 467(b)) is amended in the first 

2 sentence— 

3 (1) by striking ‘‘There’’ and inserting ‘‘If a dec4 laration of national emergency is in effect under sec5 tion 3(c), there’’; and 

6 (2) by inserting before the period at the end of 

7 the sentence the following: ‘‘during such national 

8 emergency’’. 

9 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TRANSFER OF UNOBLIGATED 

10 FUNDS. 

11 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This Act, and the amend12 ments made by this Act, shall take effect 90 days after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

14 (b) TRANSFER OF UNOBLIGATED FUNDS.—The Sec15 retary of the Treasury shall transfer the unobligated bal16 ances available (as of the effective date of this Act) to 

17 carry out the Military Selective Service Act to the general 

18 fund of the Treasury to reduce the deficit. 

Æ 


pwalker on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with BILLS