View all text of Chapter 49 [§ 3801 - § 3820]
§ 3809. Selective Service System
(a) Establishment; construction; appointment of Director; termination and reestablishment of Office of Selective Service Records
(1) There is established in the executive branch of the Government an agency to be known as the Selective Service System, and a Director of Selective Service who shall be the head thereof.
(2) The Selective Service System shall include a national headquarters, at least one State headquarters in each State, Territory, and possession of the United States, and in the District of Columbia, and the local boards, appeal boards, and other agencies provided for in subsection (b)(3) of this section.
(3) The Director shall be appointed by the President.
(4) The functions of the Office of Selective Service Records (established by the Act of March 31, 1947) and of the Director of the Office of Selective Service Records are transferred to the Selective Service System and the Director of Selective Service, respectively. The personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances (available or to be made available) of appropriations, allocations, and other funds of the Office of Selective Service Records are transferred to the Selective Service System. The Office of Selective Service Records shall cease to exist upon the taking effect of the provisions of this chapter: Provided, That, effective upon the termination of this chapter and notwithstanding such termination in other respects, (A) the said Office of Selective Service Records is reestablished on the same basis and with the same functions as obtained prior to June 24, 1948, (B) said reestablished Office shall be responsible for liquidating any other outstanding affairs of the Selective Service System, and (C) the personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances (available or to be made available) of appropriations, allocations, and other funds of the Selective Service System shall be transferred to such reestablished Office of Selective Service Records.
(b) Administrative provisions
The President is authorized to undertake the following:
(1) To prescribe the necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(2) To appoint, upon recommendation of the respective governor or comparable executive official, a State director of the Selective Service System for each headquarters in each State, Territory, and possession of the United States and for the District of Columbia, who shall represent the governor and be in immediate charge of the state headquarters of the Selective Service System: Provided, That no State director shall serve concurrently in an elected or appointed position of a State or local government; to employ such number of civilians, and, subject to subsection (e), to order to active duty with their consent and to assign to the Selective Service System such officers of the selective-service section of the State headquarters and headquarters detachments and such other officers of the federally recognized National Guard of the United States or other armed forces personnel (including personnel of the reserve components thereof), as may be necessary for the administration of the national and of the several State headquarters of the Selective Service System.
(3) To create and establish within the Selective Service System civilian local boards, civilian appeal boards, and such other civilian agencies, including agencies of appeal, as may be necessary to carry out its functions with respect to the registration, examination, classification, selection, assignment, delivery for induction, and maintenance of records of persons registered under this chapter, together with such other duties as may be assigned under this chapter: Provided, That no person shall be disqualified from serving as a counselor to registrants, including service as Government appeal agent, because of his membership in a Reserve component of the Armed Forces. He shall create and establish one or more local boards in each county or political subdivision corresponding thereto of each State, territory, and possession of the United States, and in the District of Columbia. The local board and/or its staff shall perform their official duties only within the county or political subdivision corresponding thereto for which the local board is established, or in the case of an intercounty board, within the area for which such board is established, except that the staffs of local boards in more than one county of a State or comparable jurisdiction may be collocated or one staff may serve local boards in more than one county of a State or comparable jurisdiction when such action is approved by the Governor or comparable executive official or officials. Each local board shall consist of three or more members to be appointed by the President from recommendations made by the respective Governors or comparable executive officials. In making such appointments after September 28, 1971, the President is requested to appoint the membership of each local board so that to the maximum extent practicable it is proportionately representative of the race and national origin of those registrants within its jurisdiction, but no action by any local board shall be declared invalid on the ground that any board failed to conform to any particular quota as to race or national origin. No citizen shall be denied membership on any local board or appeal board on account of sex. After December 31, 1971, no person shall serve on any local board or appeal board who has served on any local board or appeal board for a period of more than 20 years. Notwithstanding any other provision of this paragraph, an intercounty local board consisting of at least one member from each component county or corresponding subdivision may, with the approval of the Governor or comparable executive official or officials, be established for an area not exceeding five counties or political subdivisions corresponding thereto within a State or comparable jurisdiction when the President determines, after considering the public interest involved, that the establishment of such local board area will result in a more efficient and economical operation. Any such intercounty local board shall have within its area the same power and jurisdiction as a local board has in its area. A local board may include among its members any citizen otherwise qualified under Presidential regulations, provided he is at least eighteen years of age. No member of any local board shall be a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, but each member of any local board shall be a civilian who is a citizen of the United States residing in the county or political subdivision corresponding thereto in which such local board has jurisdiction, and each intercounty local board shall have at least one member from each county or political subdivision corresponding thereto included within the intercounty local board area. Such local boards, or separate panels thereof each consisting of three or more members, shall, under rules and regulations prescribed by the President, have the power within the respective jurisdictions of such local boards to hear and determine, subject to the right of appeal to the appeal boards herein authorized, all questions or claims with respect to inclusion for, or exemption or deferment from, training and service under this chapter, of all individuals within the jurisdiction of such local boards. The decisions of such local board shall be final, except where an appeal is authorized and is taken in accordance with such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe. There shall be not less than one appeal board located within the area of each Federal judicial district in the United States and within each Territory and possession of the United States, and such additional separate panels thereof, as may be prescribed by the President. Appeal boards within the Selective Service System shall be composed of civilians who are citizens of the United States and who are not members of the armed forces. The decision of such appeal boards shall be final in cases before them on appeal unless modified or changed by the President. The President, upon appeal or upon his own motion, shall have power to determine all claims or questions with respect to inclusion for, or exemption or deferment from training and service under this chapter, and the determination of the President shall be final. No judicial review shall be made of the classification or processing of any registrant by local boards, appeal boards, or the President, except as a defense to a criminal prosecution instituted under section 3811 of this title, after the registrant has responded either affirmatively or negatively to an order to report for induction or for civilian work in the case of a registrant determined to be opposed to participation in war in any form: Provided, That such review shall go to the question of the jurisdiction herein reserved to local boards, appeal boards, and the President only when there is no basis in fact for the classification assigned to such registrant. No person who is a civilian officer, member, agent, or employee of the Office of Selective Service Records or the Selective Service System, or of any local board or appeal board or other agency of such Office or System, shall be excepted from registration or deferred or exempted from training and service, as provided for in this chapter, by reason of his status as such civilian officer, member, agent, or employee.
(4) To appoint, and to fix, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, the basic pay of such officers, agents, and employees as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, however, any officer of the armed forces or any officer or employee of any department or agency of the United States who may be assigned or detailed to any office or position to carry out the provisions of this chapter (except to offices or positions on local boards or appeal boards established or created pursuant to subsection (b)(3)) may serve in and perform the functions of such office or position without loss of or prejudice to his status as such officer in the armed forces or as such officer or employee in any department or agency of the United States.
(5) To utilize the services of any or all departments and any and all officers or agents of the United States, and to accept the services of all officers and agents of the several States, Territories, and possessions, and subdivisions thereof, and the District of Columbia, and of private welfare organizations, in the execution of this chapter.
(6) To purchase such printing, binding, and blank-book work from public, commercial, or private printing establishments or binderies upon orders placed by the Director of the Government Publishing Office or upon waivers issued in accordance with section 504 of title 44, and to obtain by purchase, loan, or gift such equipment and supplies for the Selective Service System, as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, with or without advertising or formal contract.
(7) To prescribe eligibility, rules, and regulations governing the release for service in the armed forces, or for any other special service established pursuant to this chapter, of any person convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.
(8) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for such purpose, to procure such space as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and the Act of March 31, 1947.
(9) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for such purposes, to determine the location of such additional temporary installations as he may deem essential; to utilize and enlarge such existing installations; to construct, install, and equip, and to complete the construction, installation, and equipment of such buildings, structures, utilities, and appurtenances (including the necessary grading and removal, repair or remodeling of existing structures and installations), as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter; and, in order to accomplish the purpose of this chapter, to acquire lands, and rights pertaining thereto, or other interests therein, for temporary use thereof, by donation or lease, and to prosecute construction thereon prior to the approval of the chapter by the Attorney General as required by sections 3111 and 3112 of title 40.
(10) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for such purposes, to utilize, in order to provide and furnish such services as may be deemed necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, such personnel of the armed forces and of Reserve components thereof with their consent, and such civilian personnel, as may be necessary. For the purposes of this chapter, the provisions of section 14 of the Federal Employees’ Pay Act of 1946 (Public Law 390, Seventy-ninth Congress) with respect to the maximum limitations as to the number of civilian employees shall not be applicable to the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of the Air Force.
(c) Delegation of President’s authority
(d) Acceptance of gifts and voluntary services
(e) Assignment of armed forces personnel
(f) Settlement of travel claims, etc.
(g) Reports to Congress
(h) Maintenance of System after institution of all volunteer program for meeting manpower needs
(June 24, 1948, ch. 625, title I, § 10, 62 Stat. 618; Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, title XI, § 1106(a), 63 Stat. 972; June 30, 1950, ch. 445, § 3, 64 Stat. 319; Sept. 27, 1950, ch. 1059, § 3(b), 64 Stat. 1074; June 19, 1951, ch. 144, title I, § 1(u), 65 Stat. 87; Pub. L. 90–40, § 1(8)–(10), June 30, 1967, 81 Stat. 104, 105; Pub. L. 92–129, title I, § 101(a)(24)–(29), Sept. 28, 1971, 85 Stat. 351, 352; Pub. L. 93–176, § 3, Dec. 5, 1973, 87 Stat. 693; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 507(d), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2919; Pub. L. 97–60, title II, § 208, Oct. 14, 1981, 95 Stat. 1008; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 234, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2031; Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VII, § 715, Dec. 4, 1987,