Utah Valley Times

U.S. Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) have introduced the Military and Educational Data Integration Act, a bipartisan initiative aimed at enhancing states' access to military enlistment data to better inform students about military careers.

The proposed legislation mandates the Department of Defense to establish a data-sharing program, allowing state education systems to obtain military enlistment data. This would enable high schools to more accurately track the outcomes of students who opt for military careers post-graduation.

“As high school students are making decisions about what to do after graduation, it is important for them [to] know about the opportunities and benefits that serving in the military can provide,” Senator Romney stated. “By giving states easier access to military enlistment data, schools and students will be better informed about the wide array of career paths in the military.”

Senator Moran emphasized, “The military offers a wide array of career options from combat medics, to chefs, to engineers and much more. Accurate, current[,] and readily available information on career opportunities and outcomes will better enable state education systems to inform students of military career options post high school. This legislation will open doors for students to pursue their interests through well-paid, meaningful careers in the military.”

Senator Rosen added, “Joining the military is one of the most honorable and selfless decisions anyone can make, and it opens the door to a wide variety of fields and career paths. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill to better inform students about their military career options.”

In Fiscal Year 2023, U.S. military services collectively fell short of recruiting goals by approximately 41,000 recruits. Earlier this year, Senator Romney joined colleagues led by Senator Jerry Moran in urging Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Ashish Vazirani to promote collaboration between the Departments of Defense, Education[,] and Labor. The aim was to recognize military service as a rewarding career option.

Previously, Senators Romney along with Angus King (I-ME) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Military Service Promotion Act of 2023. This legislation sought to address recruitment challenges by improving recruiter access to educational institutions. A version of this bill was enacted into law in December 2023 through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.

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