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Restoring Merit in the Military Act
To ensure equal opportunity, racial neutrality, and the exclusive use of merit in military personnel decisions, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill requires all Department of Defense military personnel decisions—including hiring, promotions, assignments, command selection, and training selection—to be based exclusively on individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance, and prohibits consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin. The bill creates a limited exception for tasking personnel to specific unconventional missions in foreign countries where the local population demographics may justify consideration of these factors to optimize mission success, but such tasking requires combatant commander approval. The Secretary of Defense must report any such taskings to Congress within 60 days, including details about the mission, personnel involved, demographics, and rationale.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Mace, Nancy [R-SC-1] (R-SC)
1 cosponsor
Actions (2)
- Aug 22, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. · house
- Aug 22, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
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Text versions (1)
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Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 22, 2025
Ms. Mace (for herself and Mr. Carter of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To ensure equal opportunity, racial neutrality, and the exclusive use of merit in military personnel decisions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Restoring Merit in the Military Act”.
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, RACIAL NEUTRALITY, AND EXCLUSIVE USE OF MERIT IN MILITARY PERSONNEL ACTIONS.
(a) Merit Requirement.—All Department of Defense military personnel actions, including accessions, promotions, assignments, command selection, and military and civil schooling selection and training, shall be based exclusively on individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance.
(b) Consideration of Race Prohibited.—Consideration of an individual’s race, ethnicity, or national origin in any military personnel action is prohibited throughout the Department of Defense.
(c) Limited Exception for Tasking of Specific Missions.—
(1) In general.—This section shall not be construed to prohibit tasking for specific, unconventional missions in foreign countries, where the anticipated ground operating environment of indigenous populations may justify consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin when tasking for the mission to optimize mission success.
(2) Combatant commander approval required.—Any tasking pursuant to the exception described in paragraph (1) shall require the approval of the combatant commander concerned.
(3) Reporting requirement.—Not later than 60 days after a tasking pursuant to the exception described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall report the tasking to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall describe—
(A) the mission, including location and duration;
(B) the staffing of the mission;
(C) the demographic factors warranting the tasking;
(D) the number of personnel involved, including their rank, position, and race, ethnicity, and national origin; and
(E) the rationale for the tasking. <all>
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