Overview
- The Selective Service System plans to start automatic registration of most men ages 18 to 25 in December 2026 using government records.
- Congress authorized the change in the 2026 defense policy law, and a proposed rule to implement it is now under federal review.
- The administration says no draft is planned, and any conscription would still require approval from Congress and the President.
- Public reaction has zeroed in on privacy and on calls to use the same tools for automatic voter registration, which some states already run through DMVs.
- In related preparedness news, the UK will raise the recall age for certain ex-regular veterans to 65 for a strategic reserve, a move separate from conscription.