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 MIL-
LER 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 Se-
lective Service to prepare a report regarding the develop-
ment of a viable standby registration program for use
only during national emergencies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Selective Service
Standby Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. RESTRICTION OF REGISTRATION REQUIREMENT TO
PERIODS OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.
(a) NATIONAL
EMERGENCY
REGISTRATION
RE-
QUIREMENT.—Section 3(a) of the Military Selective Serv-
ice Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453(a)) is amended by inserting
after ‘‘this title,’’ the following: ‘‘during any period in
which a declaration of national emergency is in effect
under subsection (c),’’.
(b) PROCEDURE FOR DECLARING NATIONAL EMER-
GENCIES.—Section 3 of such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 453)
is further amended by adding at the end the following new
subsections:
‘‘(c) DECLARATION
OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.—
The President shall have the authority to declare a period
of national emergency during which the registration re-
quirements of subsection (a) shall apply. Subject to sub-
section (d), the President shall provide for the prompt ter-
mination of the declaration of national emergency upon
the termination of the national emergency.
‘‘(d) DURATION OF DECLARATION.—A declaration of
national emergency under subsection (c) shall terminate
upon the expiration of the first 10-day period of contin-
uous session of Congress after the date of the declaration
unless Congress enacts a law before the end of that period
ratifying that specific declaration. For purposes of this
subsection, the continuity of a session of Congress is bro-
ken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and
the days on which either House is not in session because
of an adjournment or recess of more than three days to
a day certain are excluded in a computation of the 10-
day period.’’.
(c) SUSPENSION OF SANCTIONS FOR PERSONS PRE-
VIOUSLY SUBJECT
TO REGISTRATION.—Section 12 of
such Act (50 U.S.C. App. 462) is amended by adding at
the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(h) ADDITIONAL BASIS TO SUSPEND SANCTIONS.—
In addition to the exception provided by subsection (g),
a person may not be denied a right, privilege, benefit, or
employment position under Federal law on the grounds
that the person failed to present himself for and submit
to registration under section 3 before the effective date
of the Selective Service Standby Act of 2001.’’.
SEC. 3. SUSPENSION OF ACTIVITIES OF SELECTIVE SERV-
ICE SYSTEM BOARDS.
Section 17 of the Military Selective Service Act (50
U.S.C. App. 467) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
‘‘(d) SUSPENSION
OF ACTIVITIES
OF SELECTIVE
SERVICE SYSTEM BOARDS.—Except during any period in
which a declaration of national emergency is in effect
under section 3—
‘‘(1) the President may not appoint a person as
a member of a civilian local board, civilian appeal
board, or similar local agency of the Selective Serv-
ice System; and
‘‘(2) any such board established under section
10(b)(3) may not meet.’’.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON STANDBY REGISTRATION PROGRAM
FOR USE DURING NATIONAL EMERGENCIES.
Not later than 150 days after the effective date of
this Act, the Director of the Selective Service shall submit
to Congress a report detailing a standby emergency man-
power mobilization program to be used by the Selective
Service System during periods in which a declaration of
national emergency is in effect for the registration of per-
sons who would be subject to registration under section
3 of the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. App.
453) during such a period. The report shall include an
estimate of the cost to implement and operate the standby
program and an evaluation of the feasibility of using exist-
ing and emerging information systems available to the
Government to improve the effectiveness of any registra-
tion requirements.
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON USE OF SAVINGS FROM
SUSPENSION OF REGISTRATION AND OTHER
ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT VETERANS HEALTH
CARE.
It is the sense of Congress that at least 50 percent
of the difference between the amount appropriated to
carry out the Military Selective Service Act for the fiscal
year in effect as of the effective date of this Act and the
amount appropriated for such purpose for each of the first
four fiscal years beginning after the effective date of this
Act should be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs to support expanded health care services for vet-
erans under title 38, United States Code.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall
take effect 30 days after the date of the enactment of the
Act.
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