republic-os/legal/us/code/title-50/chapter-49/section-3801.md

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LegalText	50 U.S.C. § 3801	Short title; Congressional declaration of policy	us	united_states_code	code_section	50	WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE	49	MILITARY SELECTIVE SERVICE	3801	50 U.S.C. § 3801	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc50@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t50/s3801	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-50/usc50.xml	aa4140fbdaa6f270473208124dd790f506331c3561c9b4c08835ef52faf18b2b	708c288b5448617cab7b03b8011860274671c9aec56686858b910a06948cd7ac	bdeb2db749668b981f2f1bd12b3ea79a78153cfa0596f03edbefd3152615a356	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

50 U.S.C. § 3801 - Short title; Congressional declaration of policy

Text

(a) This Act may be cited as the “Military Selective Service Act”.

(b) The Congress declares that an adequate armed strength must be achieved and maintained to insure the security of this Nation.

(c) The Congress further declares that in a free society the obligations and privileges of serving in the armed forces and the reserve components thereof should be shared generally, in accordance with a system of selection which is fair and just, and which is consistent with the maintenance of an effective national economy.

(d) The Congress further declares, in accordance with our traditional military policy as expressed in the National Defense Act of 1916, as amended, that it is essential that the strength and organization of the National Guard, both Ground and Air, as an integral part of the first line defenses of this Nation, be at all times maintained and assured.To this end, it is the intent of the Congress that whenever Congress shall determine that units and organizations are needed for the national security in excess of those of the Regular components of the Ground Forces and the Air Forces, and those in active service under this chapter, the National Guard of the United States, both Ground and Air, or such part thereof as may be necessary, together with such units of the Reserve components as are necessary for a balanced force, shall be ordered to active Federal service and continued therein so long as such necessity exists.

(e) The Congress further declares that adequate provision for national security requires maximum effort in the fields of scientific research and development, and the fullest possible utilization of the Nation’s technological, scientific, and other critical manpower resources.

(f) The Congress further declares that the Selective Service System should remain administratively independent of any other agency, including the Department of Defense.

(June 24, 1948, ch. 625, title I, § 1, 62 Stat. 604; June 19, 1951, ch. 144, title I, § 1(a), 65 Stat. 75; Pub. L. 90–40, § 1(1), June 30, 1967, 81 Stat. 100; Pub. L. 92–129, title I, § 101(a)(1), Sept. 28, 1971, 85 Stat. 348; Pub. L. 96–107, title VIII, § 812, Nov. 9, 1979, 93 Stat. 816.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Military Selective Service Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act June 24, 1948, ch. 625, 62 Stat. 604. Act was comprised of titles I and II, prior to repeal of title II by act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 53, 70A Stat. 641. Title I of the Act is classified principally to this chapter. Title II of the Act was classified to the Articles of War set out in former Title 10, Army and Air Force, to sections 61, 61a, 62a, 65, and 652a of former Title 10, and to section 180 of former Title 14, Coast Guard, prior to repeal. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The National Defense Act of 1916, referred to in subsec. (d), is act June 3, 1916, ch. 134, 39 Stat. 166, which was classified generally throughout former Title 10, Army and Air Force, prior to repeal by act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 53, 70A Stat. 641, and reenactment as parts of Title 10, Armed Forces, and Title 32, National Guard. This chapter, referred to in subsec. (d), was in the original “this title”, meaning title I of act June 24, 1948, ch. 625, 62 Stat. 604, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title I to the Code, see Tables.

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 451 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments1979—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 96–107 added subsec. (f). 1971—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–129 substituted “Military Selective Service Act” for “Military Selective Service Act of 1967”. 1967—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–40 substituted “Military Selective Service Act of 1967” for “Universal Military Training and Service Act”. 1951—Subsec. (a). Act June 19, 1951, substituted “Universal Military Training and Service Act” for “Selective Service Act of 1948”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title of 1969 AmendmentPub. L. 91–124, § 1, Nov. 26, 1969, 83 Stat. 220, provided: “That this Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Selective Service Amendment Act of 1969’.”

Short Title of 1955 AmendmentAct June 30, 1955, ch. 250, § 1, 69 Stat. 223, provided: “That this Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘1955 Amendments to the Universal Military Training and Service Act’.”

Short Title of 1951 AmendmentAct June 19, 1951, ch. 144, title I, § 7, 65 Stat. 89, provided that: “This title [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘1951 Amendments to the Universal Military Training and Service Act’.”

Short Title of 1950 AmendmentAct Sept. 9, 1950, ch. 939, 64 Stat. 826, which amended section 3803 of this title, is popularly known as the “Doctors Draft Act”. Act June 30, 1950, ch. 445, § 4, 64 Stat. 319, provided that: “This Act [see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Selective Service Extension Act of 1950’.”

SeparabilityAct June 19, 1951, ch. 144, title I, § 5, 65 Stat. 88, provided that: “If any provisions of this Act [see Tables for classification] or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the Act and of the application of such provision to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby.”