The SERVE Act aims to strengthen military recruitment by making it easier for recruiters to reach students and by creating new incentives and structures around youth engagement with military service. Key components include expanding recruiters’ access to high schools and student directory information (and certain FAFSA-related data), reforming ROTC/JROTC access to ensure more consistent in-school recruiter presence, establishing two types of JROTC affiliations (host unit and cross-town), launching a two-year pilot to recognize “military-friendly” high schools (HERO schools), and creating a priority admissions pathway to service academies for students from high schools with higher-than-average military enlistment rates. It also designates a National Week of Military Recruitment and imposes reporting requirements to Congress to track implementation and impact. Overall, the bill seeks to address recruitment challenges by increasing visibility of military options in schools, formalizing access and collaboration with JROTC programs, and rewarding schools that produce more military enlistments, while creating ongoing oversight through annual and milestone reporting.
Key Points
- 1Expanded access for military recruiters to high schools and student directory information, including data such as names, academic grades, contact details, and, for FAFSA-registered students, additional data, with specific visit frequency and in-school conditions to minimize disruption.
- 2Reforms to ROTC/JROTC access at schools to ensure recruiters have meaningful, in-school access (minimum visits and active engagement during peak hours and group activities), plus new language for student data sharing.
- 3Establishment of two JROTC affiliation types (host unit and cross-town) with DoD guidance to clarify roles, responsibilities, and requirements.
- 4Pilot program to recognize militarily friendly high schools (HERO schools) for two years, with designation based on above-average military enlistment rates and supportive programs (recruiter access, JROTC, military prep coursework).
- 5Priority consideration for military service academy admissions for graduates of high schools with above-average enlistment rates, including criteria and a process for implementing the policy and reporting on its outcomes.
- 6Creation of the National Week of Military Recruitment (first week of April), including a Presidential proclamation encouraging observance.
- 7Reporting requirements to Congress on JROTC policy changes, HERO school pilot outcomes, and the priority-admissions policy, with specific data and evaluation timelines.