ENROLLED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 239
BY REPRESENTATIVES MOORE, WILFORD CARTER, FISHER, FREEMAN,
HUGHES, JEFFERSON, JENKINS, JORDAN, KNOX, LARVADAIN, PIERRE,
SELDERS, AND STAGNI
A RESOLUTION
To memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to assist in
the establishment of a Louisiana pilot program for the recruitment of new United
States Army members to address the military recruitment shortage.
WHEREAS, the United States Army was founded to serve the American people,
defend the nation, protect vital national interests, and fulfill national military responsibilities;
and
WHEREAS, the United States Army helps to maintain peace and stability in the
United States and in regions critical to the interests of the United States; and
WHEREAS, recruiting and retaining service members is essential for our military
members and national security; and
WHEREAS, in recent years, the United States Army has struggled to recruit qualified
and willing recruits; and
WHEREAS, last fiscal year, the United States Army missed its recruiting goal by
fifteen thousand active duty soldiers, or twenty-five percent of its target; and
WHEREAS, the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services convened
recently to explore solutions to the military recruitment crisis; and
WHEREAS, for decades, Louisiana has had the nation's highest incarceration rate
and state leaders have sought programs to reduce recidivism and alternatives to
incarceration; and
WHEREAS, elected officials want to work with the armed forces, law enforcement,
and advocates to develop a plan to improve military eligibility which includes nonviolent
offenders between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five with a high school diploma or
college degree, such as an associate degree or bachelor’s degree, to participate in the pilot
program and join the United States Army.
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THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby memorialize the United States Congress to take such
actions as are necessary to assist in the establishment of a Louisiana pilot program for the
recruitment of new United States Army members to address the military recruitment
shortage.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the offenders who fail to complete the pilot
program or who fail to enlist in the United States Army shall return to the custody of the
Department of Public Safety and Corrections with credit for time served in the pilot
program.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the
United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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