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Amends the appointment provisions for the United States Military Academy to: replace selection 'as established by competitive examinations' with selection 'as determined by candidate composite score rank'; redesignate subsections; add a new subsection requiring appointment each year of 300 qualified alternates selected in order of merit by candidate composite score rank; modify numeric appointment limits to 'up to' amounts; add provisions on candidate composite score calculation/weighting and reporting requirements; and prohibit consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions determinations.
Amends the section heading and text regarding additional appointees (United States Military Academy) to change wording to 'additional appointments', alter nomination/eligibility language (e.g., 'who were eligible and competed unsuccessfully for nomination under any other provision of law'), adjust numeric references, and apply candidate composite score provisions from section 7442 to this section.
Amends the appointment provisions for the United States Naval Academy to replace selection 'as established by competitive examination' with selection 'as determined by candidate composite score rank'; redesignate subsections; add a new subsection requiring appointment each year of 300 qualified alternates by the Secretary of the Navy; modify numeric appointment limits to 'up to' amounts; add composite score calculation/weighting and reporting requirements; and prohibit consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions determinations.
Amends the section on additional appointees (United States Naval Academy) to change nomination/eligibility language, adjust numeric references, and apply candidate composite score provisions from section 8454 to this section.
Amends the appointment provisions for the United States Air Force Academy to replace selection 'as established by competitive examination' with selection 'as determined by candidate composite score rank'; redesignate subsections; add a new subsection requiring appointment each year of 300 qualified alternates by the Secretary of the Air Force; modify numeric appointment limits to 'up to' amounts; add composite score calculation/weighting and reporting requirements; and prohibit consideration of race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions determinations.
Amends the section on additional appointees (United States Air Force Academy) to change the section heading to 'additional appointments', alter nomination/eligibility language, adjust numeric references, and apply candidate composite score provisions from section 9442 to this section.
This bill changes how the United States Military, Naval, and Air Force Academies choose students. Offers must be made strictly in rank order using one uniform “candidate composite score.” The score must lean heavily on academics (at least 60%) and standardized test scores (at least 45%), with any subjective parts capped at 10%. Only the composite score decides who gets in. It also bans considering an applicant’s race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions decisions.
The bill also standardizes special appointments and adds transparency. Each academy must appoint 300 “qualified alternates” each year, chosen strictly by score rank from nominated candidates. The President may still appoint up to 100 candidates per academy, but those picks must also follow the same merit ranking. Every year by October 1, the Departments must report to Congress on minimum score cutoffs, the number and reasons for score waivers, and how students admitted with waivers are doing; another annual report lists the ten lowest-scoring appointees, the ten highest-scoring unselected candidates, and the total number of qualified but not selected candidates from the prior cycle.
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Introduced August 26, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress August 26, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Introduced in House