H.R. 5025House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Restoring Merit in the Military Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 23, 2025 at 10:23 PM UTC

The Restoring Merit in the Military Act aims to make all Department of Defense personnel decisions—like hiring, promotions, and assignments—based only on individual merit and performance, eliminating any use of race, ethnicity, or national origin as a factor. It does allow a narrow exception for specific foreign missions where demographic considerations might be deemed necessary, but such cases require senior commander approval and must be reported to Congress. The bill primarily affects military and civilian personnel processes within the DoD.

Key Provisions

All DoD personnel actions—such as enlistment, promotion, assignment, command selection, and training—must be decided solely on merit, fitness, capability, and performance.
Using a person's race, ethnicity, or national origin as a factor in any military personnel decision is prohibited.
An exception allows consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin when assigning personnel to certain unconventional foreign missions where the local environment may affect mission success; such taskings require approval from the relevant combatant commander.
When the exception is used, the Secretary of Defense must report details of the mission, staffing, demographic reasons, and justification to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within 60 days.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

August 22, 2025

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

August 22, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Armed Services Committee

August 22, 2025

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued August 22, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 5025

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 22, 2025

Ms. Mace (for herself and Mr. Carter of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To ensure equal opportunity, racial neutrality, and the exclusive use of merit in military personnel decisions, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Restoring Merit in the Military Act.

Requirement of equal opportunity, racial neutrality, and exclusive use of merit in military personnel actions

(a)

Merit requirement

All Department of Defense military personnel actions, including accessions, promotions, assignments, command selection, and military and civil schooling selection and training, shall be based exclusively on individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance.

(b)

Consideration of race prohibited

Consideration of an individual’s race, ethnicity, or national origin in any military personnel action is prohibited throughout the Department of Defense.

(c)

Limited exception for tasking of specific missions

(1)

In general

This section shall not be construed to prohibit tasking for specific, unconventional missions in foreign countries, where the anticipated ground operating environment of indigenous populations may justify consideration of race, ethnicity, or national origin when tasking for the mission to optimize mission success.

(2)

Combatant commander approval required

Any tasking pursuant to the exception described in paragraph (1) shall require the approval of the combatant commander concerned.

(3)

Reporting requirement

Not later than 60 days after a tasking pursuant to the exception described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall report the tasking to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The report shall describe—

(A)

the mission, including location and duration;

(B)

the staffing of the mission;

(C)

the demographic factors warranting the tasking;

(D)

the number of personnel involved, including their rank, position, and race, ethnicity, and national origin; and

(E)

the rationale for the tasking.