Young American men could be automatically enrolled in the military draft registry as soon as December.
The proposal would end more than four decades of self-registration.
The Selective Service System submitted the rule to federal regulators on 30 March.
It shifts the responsibility for registration from individuals to the government through integration with federal data sources.
Currently, men between 18 and 25 are required to register themselves within 30 days of their 18th birthday.
This is a requirement backed by penalties including ineligibility for federal student aid and jobs. Compliance fell to 81 percent in 2024.
Supporters frame the change as a cost-saving measure, arguing it would redirect money currently spent on awareness campaigns toward military readiness.
Congress authorised the move in December as part of the National Defence Authorization Act.
Democratic Representative Chrissy Houlahan, who sponsored the provision, said it would free up resources for “readiness and mobilisation.”
The proposal still requires regulatory approval before it can take effect, but it has triggered anxiety among some Americans about a potential return to conscription.
It comes at a particularly sensitive time, as the US war with Iran raises questions about military manpower. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stopped short of ruling out a draft, saying ground troops in Iran were not “part of the current plan right now.”
She added that President Trump “wisely keeps his options on the table.”
The US has not conducted a military draft since Vietnam. Public opposition to that war effectively ended conscription in 1973, when the all-volunteer force was established.
Selective Service registration was revived under Jimmy Carter in 1980, but has remained a largely administrative requirement ever since.
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