I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 748 
To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 
25 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed 
services or as civilian service in a Federal, State, or local government 
program or with a community-based agency or community-based entity, 
to authorize the induction of persons in the uniformed services during 
wartime to meet end-strength requirements of the uniformed services, 
to provide for the registration of women under the Military Selective 
Service Act, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 15, 2013 
Mr. RANGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To require all persons in the United States between the 
ages of 18 and 25 to perform national service, either 
as a member of the uniformed services or as civilian 
service in a Federal, State, or local government program 
or with a community-based agency or community-based 
entity, to authorize the induction of persons in the uni-
formed services during wartime to meet end-strength re-
quirements of the uniformed services, to provide for the 
registration of women under the Military Selective Serv-
ice Act, and for other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Universal National Service Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL SERVICE 
Sec. 101. Definitions. 
Sec. 102. National service obligation. 
Sec. 103. Induction to perform national service. 
Sec. 104. Two-year period of national service. 
Sec. 105. Implementation by the President. 
Sec. 106. Examination and classification of persons. 
Sec. 107. Deferments and postponements. 
Sec. 108. Induction exemptions. 
Sec. 109. Conscientious objection. 
Sec. 110. Discharge following national service. 
TITLE II—AMENDMENTS TO MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE ACT 
Sec. 201. Registration of females. 
Sec. 202. Registration and induction authority. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL SERVICE 
SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) The terms ‘‘community-based agency’’ and 
‘‘community-based entity’’ have the meanings given 
those terms in section 101 of the National and Com-
munity Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12511). 
(2) The term ‘‘contingency operation’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(a)(13) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
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District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is-
lands, and Guam. 
(7) The term ‘‘uniformed services’’ means the 
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, 
commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, and commissioned corps 
of the Public Health Service. 
SEC. 102. NATIONAL SERVICE OBLIGATION. 
(a) OBLIGATION FOR SERVICE.—It is the obligation 
of every citizen of the United States, and every other per-
son residing in the United States, who is between the ages 
of 18 and 25 to perform a period of national service as 
prescribed in this title unless exempted under the provi-
sions of this title. 
(b) FORMS OF NATIONAL SERVICE.—The national 
service obligation under this title shall be performed either 
through— 
(1) military service; or 
(2) civilian service in a Federal, State, or local 
government program or with a community-based 
agency or community-based entity that, as deter-
mined by the President, is engaged in meeting 
human, educational, environmental, or public safety 
needs. 
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(c) AGE LIMITS.—A person may be inducted under 
this title only if the person has attained the age of 18 
and has not attained the age of 25. 
SEC. 103. INDUCTION TO PERFORM NATIONAL SERVICE. 
(a) INDUCTION
REQUIREMENTS.—The President 
shall provide for the induction of persons described in sec-
tion 102(a) to perform their national service obligation. 
(b) LIMITATION ON INDUCTION FOR MILITARY SERV-
ICE.—Persons described in section 102(a) may be in-
ducted to perform military service only if— 
(1) a declaration of war is in effect; 
(2) the President declares a national emer-
gency, which the President determines necessitates 
the induction of persons to perform military service, 
and immediately informs Congress of the reasons for 
the declaration and the need to induct persons for 
military service; or 
(3) members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or 
Marine Corps are engaged in a contingency oper-
ation pursuant to a congressional authorization for 
the use of military force. 
(c) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF PERSONS INDUCTED 
FOR MILITARY SERVICE.—When the induction of persons 
for military service is authorized by subsection (b), the 
President shall determine the number of persons described 
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in section 102(a) whose national service obligation is to 
be satisfied through military service based on— 
(1) the authorized end strengths of the uni-
formed services; and 
(2) the feasibility of the uniformed services to 
recruit sufficient volunteers to achieve such end- 
strength levels. 
(d) SELECTION FOR INDUCTION.— 
(1) RANDOM SELECTION FOR MILITARY SERV-
ICE.—When the induction of persons for military 
service is authorized by subsection (b), the President 
shall utilize a mechanism for the random selection of 
persons to be inducted to perform military service. 
(2) RANDOM SELECTION FOR CIVILIAN SERV-
ICE.—Persons described in section 102(a) who do 
not volunteer to perform military service or are not 
inducted for military service shall perform their na-
tional service obligation in a civilian capacity pursu-
ant to section 102(b)(2). 
(e) VOLUNTARY SERVICE.—A person subject to in-
duction under this title may— 
(1) volunteer to perform national service in lieu 
of being inducted; or 
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(2) request permission to be inducted at a time 
other than the time at which the person is otherwise 
called for induction. 
SEC. 104. TWO-YEAR PERIOD OF NATIONAL SERVICE. 
(a) GENERAL RULE.—Except as otherwise provided 
in this section, the period of national service performed 
by a person under this title shall be two years. 
(b) GROUNDS FOR EXTENSION.—At the discretion of 
the President, the period of military service for a member 
of the uniformed services under this title may be ex-
tended— 
(1) with the consent of the member, for the 
purpose of furnishing hospitalization, medical, or 
surgical care for injury or illness incurred in line of 
duty; or 
(2) for the purpose of requiring the member to 
compensate for any time lost to training for any 
cause. 
(c) EARLY TERMINATION.—The period of national 
service for a person under this title shall be terminated 
before the end of such period under the following cir-
cumstances: 
(1) The voluntary enlistment and active service 
of the person in an active or reserve component of 
the uniformed services for a period of at least two 
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years, in which case the period of basic military 
training and education actually served by the person 
shall be counted toward the term of enlistment. 
(2) The admission and service of the person as 
a cadet or midshipman at the United States Military 
Academy, the United States Naval Academy, the 
United States Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard 
Academy, or the United States Merchant Marine 
Academy. 
(3) The enrollment and service of the person in 
an officer candidate program, if the person has 
signed an agreement to accept a Reserve commission 
in the appropriate service with an obligation to serve 
on active duty if such a commission is offered upon 
completion of the program. 
(4) Such other grounds as the President may 
establish. 
SEC. 105. IMPLEMENTATION BY THE PRESIDENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall prescribe 
such regulations as are necessary to carry out this title. 
(b) MATTER TO BE COVERED BY REGULATIONS.— 
Such regulations shall include specification of the fol-
lowing: 
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(1) The types of civilian service that may be 
performed in order for a person to satisfy the per-
son’s national service obligation under this title. 
(2) The types of Federal, State, and local gov-
ernment programs and programs carried out by a 
community-based agency or community-based entity 
that may be used for the performance of national 
service. 
(3) Standards for satisfactory performance of 
civilian service and of penalties for failure to per-
form civilian service satisfactorily. 
(4) The manner in which persons shall be se-
lected for induction under this title, including the 
manner in which those selected will be notified of 
such selection. 
(5) All other administrative matters in connec-
tion with the induction of persons under this title 
and the registration, examination, and classification 
of such persons. 
(6) A means to determine questions or claims 
with respect to inclusion for, or exemption or 
deferment from induction under this title, including 
questions of conscientious objection. 
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