I

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 1607

To amend the Military Selective Service Act to suspend the registration

requirement and the activities of civilian local boards, civilian appeal

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

during national emergencies, and to require the Director of Selective

Service to prepare a report regarding the development of a viable standby

registration program for use only during national emergencies.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

APRIL 26, 2001

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. STARK, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To amend the Military Selective Service Act to suspend the

registration requirement and the activities of civilian

local boards, civilian appeal boards, and similar local

agencies of the Selective Service System, except during

national emergencies, and to require the Director of Selective Service to prepare a report regarding the development of a viable standby registration program for use

only during national emergencies.

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

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Selective Service

3 Standby Act of 2001’’.

4 SEC. 2. RESTRICTION OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT TO

5 PERIODS OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.

6 (a) NATIONAL EMERGENCY REGISTRATION RE7 QUIREMENT.—Section 3(a) of the Military Selective Serv8 ice Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453(a)) is amended by inserting

9 after ‘‘this title,’’ the following: ‘‘during any period in

10 which a declaration of national emergency is in effect

11 under subsection (c),’’.

12 (b) PROCEDURE FOR DECLARING NATIONAL EMER13 GENCIES.—Section 3 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453)

14 is further amended by adding at the end the following new

15 subsections:

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

17 The President shall have the authority to declare a period

18 of national emergency during which the registration re19 quirements of subsection (a) shall apply. Subject to sub20 section (d), the President shall provide for the prompt ter21 mination of the declaration of national emergency upon

22 the termination of the national emergency.

23 ‘‘(d) DURATION OF DECLARATION.—A declaration of

24 national emergency under subsection (c) shall terminate

25 upon the expiration of the first 10-day period of contin26 uous session of Congress after the date of the declaration
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1 unless Congress enacts a law before the end of that period

2 ratifying that specific declaration. For purposes of this

3 subsection, the continuity of a session of Congress is bro4 ken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and

5 the days on which either House is not in session because

6 of an adjournment or recess of more than three days to

7 a day certain are excluded in a computation of the 10-

8 day period.’’.

9 (c) SUSPENSION OF SANCTIONS FOR PERSONS PRE10 VIOUSLY SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION.—Section 12 of

11 such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 462) is amended by adding at

12 the end the following new subsection:

13 ‘‘(h) ADDITIONAL BASIS TO SUSPEND SANCTIONS.—

14 In addition to the exception provided by subsection (g),

15 a person may not be denied a right, privilege, benefit, or

16 employment position under Federal law on the grounds

17 that the person failed to present himself for and submit

18 to registration under section 3 before the effective date

19 of the Selective Service Standby Act of 2001.’’.

20 SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF ACTIVITIES OF SELECTIVE SERV21 ICE SYSTEM BOARDS.

22 Section 17 of the Military Selective Service Act (50

23 U.S.C. App. 467) is amended by adding at the end the

24 following new subsection:
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1 ‘‘(d) SUSPENSION OF ACTIVITIES OF SELECTIVE

2 SERVICE SYSTEM BOARDS.—Except during any period in

3 which a declaration of national emergency is in effect

4 under section 3—

5 ‘‘(1) the President may not appoint a person as

6 a member of a civilian local board, civilian appeal

7 board, or similar local agency of the Selective Serv8 ice System; and

9 ‘‘(2) any such board established under section

10 10(b)(3) may not meet.’’.

11 SEC. 4. REPORT ON STANDBY REGISTRATION PROGRAM

12 FOR USE DURING NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.

13 Not later than 150 days after the effective date of

14 this Act, the Director of the Selective Service shall submit

15 to Congress a report detailing a standby emergency man16 power mobilization program to be used by the Selective

17 Service System during periods in which a declaration of

18 national emergency is in effect for the registration of per19 sons who would be subject to registration under section

20 3 of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App.

21 453) during such a period. The report shall include an

22 estimate of the cost to implement and operate the standby

23 program and an evaluation of the feasibility of using exist24 ing and emerging information systems available to the
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1 Government to improve the effectiveness of any registra2 tion requirements.

3 SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON USE OF SAVINGS FROM

4 SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION AND OTHER

5 ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT VETERANS HEALTH

6 CARE.

7 It is the sense of Congress that at least 50 percent

8 of the difference between the amount appropriated to

9 carry out the Military Selective Service Act for the fiscal

10 year in effect as of the effective date of this Act and the

11 amount appropriated for such purpose for each of the first

12 four fiscal years beginning after the effective date of this

13 Act should be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans

14 Affairs to support expanded health care services for vet15 erans under title 38, United States Code.

16 SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.

17 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall

18 take effect 30 days after the date of the enactment of the

19 Act.

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