1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Combating Bias in Military Promotions Act”.
Combating Bias in Military Promotions Act
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the inclusion of certain personally identifying information from the information furnished to promotion selection boards for commissioned officers of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
2. Elimination of inclusion of certain personally identifying information from information furnished to promotion selection boards for commissioned officers of the Armed Forces
Regular officers— Section 615 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (b)—
by striking “The Secretary of the military department concerned” and inserting “Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary of the military department concerned”;
in paragraph (2), by striking “the names” and inserting “the identifiers”;
in paragraph (3), by striking “whose name” and inserting “whose identifier”; and
in paragraph (5), by striking “subsection (c)” and inserting “subsection (d)”;
by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):
“(c)
“(1) Information on an officer furnished to a selection board under this section may not include any information that indicates the sex, age, or race of the officer, or a photograph of the officer.
“(2) In any information so furnished, an officer shall be identified through a unique identifier employed by the Secretary of the military department concerned for that purpose, rather than by the use of, or explicit reference to, the officer's name.”
Reserve officers— Section 14107 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (b)—
by striking “The Secretary of the military department concerned” and inserting “Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary of the military department concerned”;
in paragraph (2), by striking “The name” and inserting “The identifier”; and
in paragraph (3), by striking “the name” and inserting “the identifier”; and
by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (b) the following new subsection (c):
“(c) Omission of certain personally identifying information
“(1) Information on an officer furnished to a selection board under this section may not include any information that indicates the sex, age, or race of the officer, or a photograph of the officer.
“(2) In any information so furnished, an officer shall be identified through a unique identifier employed by the Secretary of the military department concerned for that purpose, rather than by the use of, or explicit reference to, the officer's name.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply with respect to activities of promotion selection boards convened under section 611(a) or 14101(a) of title 10, United States Code, on or after that date.