Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

Us Congress Senate Bill SB1811 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	II
2	2	118THCONGRESS
3	3	1
4	4	STSESSION S. 1811
5	5	To ensure treatment in the military based on merit and performance, and
6	6	for other purposes.
7	7	IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
8	8	JUNE6, 2023
9	9	Mr. W
10	10	ICKERintroduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
11	11	to the Committee on Armed Services
12	12	A BILL
13	13	To ensure treatment in the military based on merit and
14	14	performance, and for other purposes.
15	15	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
16	16	tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
17	17	SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
18	18	This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Merit, Fair-4
19	19	ness, and Equality Act of 2023’’. 5
20	20	SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6
21	21	Congress makes the following findings: 7
22	22	(1) The United States Armed Forces is the 8
23	23	greatest civil rights program in the history of the 9
24	24	world. 10
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27	27	•S 1811 IS
28	28	(2) Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen-1
29	29	eral Colin Powell wrote that ‘‘the military [has] 2
30	30	given African-Americans more equal opportunity 3
31	31	than any other institution in American society’’. 4
32	32	(3) Today’s Armed Forces is the most diverse 5
33	33	large public institution in the country, and brings to-6
34	34	gether Americans from every background in the 7
35	35	service of defending the country. 8
36	36	(4) Military readiness depends on the guarantee 9
37	37	of equal opportunity, without the promise of an 10
38	38	equal outcome, because warfare is a competitive en-11
39	39	deavor and the nation’s enemies must know that the 12
40	40	United States Armed Forces is led by the best, 13
41	41	brightest, and bravest Americans. 14
42	42	(5) The tenets of critical race theory are anti-15
43	43	thetical to the merit-based, all-volunteer, military 16
44	44	that has served the country with great distinction 17
45	45	for the last 50 years. 18
46	46	SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF EQUITY. 19
47	47	For the purposes of any Department of Defense Di-20
48	48	versity, Equity, and Inclusion directive, program, policy, 21
49	49	or instruction, the term ‘‘equity’’ is defined as ‘‘the right 22
50	50	of all persons to have the opportunity to participate in, 23
51	51	and benefit from, programs, and activities for which they 24
52	52	are qualified’’. 25
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56	56	SEC. 4. PROHIBITIONS. 1
57	57	(a) D
58	58	IRECTIVES.—The Department of Defense shall 2
59	59	not direct or otherwise compel any member of the Armed 3
60	60	Forces, military dependent, or civilian employee of the De-4
61	61	partment of Defense to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere 5
62	62	to the tenet that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion or na-6
63	63	tional origin is inherently superior or inferior. 7
64	64	(b) T
65	65	RAINING ANDINSTRUCTION.—No organization 8
66	66	or institution under the authority of the Secretary of De-9
67	67	fense may provide courses, training, or any other type of 10
68	68	instruction that directs, compels, or otherwise suggests 11
69	69	that members of the Armed Forces, military dependents, 12
70	70	or civilian employees of the Department of Defense should 13
71	71	affirm, adopt, or adhere to the tenet described in sub-14
72	72	section (a). 15
73	73	(c) D
74	74	ISTINCTIONS ANDCLASSIFICATIONS.— 16
75	75	(1) I
76	76	N GENERAL.—No organization or institu-17
77	77	tion under the authority of the Secretary of Defense 18
78	78	shall make a distinction or classification of members 19
79	79	of the Armed Forces, military dependents, or civilian 20
80	80	employees of the Department of Defense based on 21
81	81	account of race, ethnicity, or national origin. 22
82	82	(2) R
83	83	ULE OF CONSTRUCTION .—Nothing in this 23
84	84	subsection shall be construed to prohibit the re-24
85	85	quired collection or reporting of demographic infor-25
86	86	mation by the Department of Defense. 26
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90	90	SEC. 5. MERIT REQUIREMENT. 1
91	91	All Department of Defense personnel actions, includ-2
92	92	ing accessions, promotions, assignments and training, 3
93	93	shall be based exclusively on individual merit and dem-4
94	94	onstrated performance. 5
95	95	Æ
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