I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1812
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
MAY 13, 1999
Mr. PAUL (for himself, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. METCALF, Mr. CLAY, Mr.
DEFAZIO, and Mr. STARK) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred 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 1999’’.
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,’’.
(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) The President shall have the authority to declare
a period of national emergency during which the registra-
tion requirements of subsection (a) shall apply. Subject
to subsection (d), the President shall provide for the
prompt termination of the declaration of national emer-
gency upon the termination of the national emergency.
‘‘(d) A declaration of national emergency under sub-
section (c) shall terminate upon the expiration of the first
10-day period of continuous 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 broken only by an adjournment of the Con-
gress 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 com-
putation 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) In addition to the exception provided by sub-
section (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 1999.’’.
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) 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 fiscal year
1999 and the amount appropriated for such purpose for
each of the fiscal years 2000 through 2004 should be ap-
propriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to support
expanded health care services for veterans 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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