§658 Medical Accession Standards for Members of the Armed Forces

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must create one set of medical rules for people who want to join the armed forces. The rules must cover appointment, enlistment, and induction. Applicants must be able to easily find and understand the rules and how to ask for a review or a waiver if they are medically disqualified. The review must use all medical facts and the service’s needs. Waivers can be granted when national security requires it — meaning the government has a strong need for someone whose service would directly help the Department’s warfighting capabilities. Each year the Secretary must send a report to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees showing, for the preceding calendar year: how many people were disqualified because of medical history; how many and what kinds of waivers were approved; and any changes to the standards or waiver process. If a Coast Guard accession is approved under the waiver process in any fiscal year, the head of the department that runs the Coast Guard must report the waiver information to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.