Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act

Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act would remake how three U.S. service academies (United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy, and United States Air Force Academy) select new cadets/midshipmen. The bill establishes a single, standardized candidate composite score used to determine order of merit for appointments and additional appointees, and it prohibits considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion in admissions. It also creates a framework of alternating and additional appointment processes, including a fixed pool of 300 qualified alternates per academy selected in order of merit. The act specifies weighting for the composite score (a strong emphasis on academics and test scores, with limited room for subjective adjustments) and requires annual reporting to Congress on scores, waivers, and cadet status. In essence, the bill shifts the academies toward a strictly merit-based, score-driven admissions system with explicit numerical ceilings and reporting requirements, reducing or eliminating race- and religion-related considerations and nominations-based selection factors. It would also expand the role of alternates and cap or redefine the final appointment numbers at each academy.