Resolution No. 11-11
State Cooperation with Selective Service Registration
WHEREAS, the Selective Service Act (50 App. U.S. Code 451 et seq.) requires virtually all male residents of the United States or its territories, who are between the ages of 18 and 26 years, to register with the Selective Service System;
WHEREAS, failure to register is a felony and violators are subject to a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment; and
WHEREAS, failure to register results in loss of eligibility for federal student loans and grants; and
WHEREAS, many young men are either ignorant or defiant of the registration requirement despite the best efforts of the Selective Service System, resulting in poor compliance in some states or territories; and
WHEREAS, the Selective Service System has requested that all states and territories link the application for a driver’s license or government-issued identification card to the requirement for Selective Service registration, making the application for a driver’s license or identification card a simultaneous consent and application for Selective Service registration; and
WHEREAS, most of the states and territories already provide information regarding driver’s license and state identification card applicants to the Selective Service System in electronic format and would therefore incur no additional cost to link the applications to Selective Service registration;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, chartered by Congress, urge the Congress to enact legislation encouraging the linkage of all applications for state or territory driver’s licenses or government-issued identification cards, received from applicants less than 27 years of age who are required to register under the Selective Service Act, to a consent and authorization for federal Selective Service registration, with the data to be provided to the Selective Service System in electronic format.
Renewed by the DC National Convention, February 2, 2011
Renewed by the Atlanta National Convention, June 28, 2008 as 08-17
Renewed by the New York City National Convention, July 30, 2005 as 05-11
Renewed by the Philadelphia National Convention, June 23, 2002 as 02-02