Solomon Amendment

SOLOMON AMENDMENT

The 1996 Solomon Amendment provides for the Secretary of Defense to deny federal funding to institutions of higher learning if they prohibit or prevent ROTC or military recruitment on campus.

This law has been codified in 10 USC Sec. 983. Version in effect as of Jan 2000 shown here:

TITLE 10--ARMED FORCES

Subtitle A--General Military Law

PART II--PERSONNEL

CHAPTER 49--MISCELLANEOUS PROHIBITIONS AND PENALTIES

Sec. 983. Institutions of higher education that prevent ROTC

access or military recruiting on campus: denial of grants and

contracts from Department of Defense, Department of Education,

and certain other departments and agencies

(a) Denial of Funds for Preventing ROTC Access to Campus.--No funds

described in subsection (d)(1) may be provided by contract or by grant

(including a grant of funds to be available for student aid) to an

institution of higher education (including any subelement of such

institution) if the Secretary of Defense determines that that

institution (or any subelement of that institution) has a policy or

practice (regardless of when implemented) that either prohibits, or in

effect prevents--

(1) the Secretary of a military department from maintaining,

establishing, or operating a unit of the Senior Reserve Officer

Training Corps (in accordance with section 654 of this title and

other applicable Federal laws) at that institution (or any

subelement of that institution); or

(2) a student at that institution (or any subelement of that

institution) from enrolling in a unit of the Senior Reserve Officer

Training Corps at another institution of higher education.

(b) Denial of Funds for Preventing Military Recruiting on Campus.--

No funds described in subsection (d)(2) may be provided by contract or

by grant (including a grant of funds to be available for student aid) to

an institution of higher education (including any subelement of such

institution) if the Secretary of Defense determines that that

institution (or any subelement of that institution) has a policy or

practice (regardless of when implemented) that either prohibits, or in

effect prevents--

(1) the Secretary of a military department or Secretary of

Transportation from gaining entry to campuses, or access to students

(who are 17 years of age or older) on campuses, for purposes of

military recruiting; or

(2) access by military recruiters for purposes of military

recruiting to the following information pertaining to students (who

are 17 years of age or older) enrolled at that institution (or any

subelement of that institution):

(A) Names, addresses, and telephone listings.

(B) Date and place of birth, levels of education, academic

majors, degrees received, and the most recent educational

institution enrolled in by the student.

(c) Exceptions.--The limitation established in subsection (a) or (b)

shall not apply to an institution of higher education (or any subelement

of that institution) if the Secretary of Defense determines that--

(1) the institution (and each subelement of that institution)

has ceased the policy or practice described in that subsection; or

(2) the institution of higher education involved has a

longstanding policy of pacifism based on historical religious

affiliation.

(d) Covered Funds.--(1) The limitation established in subsection (a)

applies to the following:

(A) Any funds made available for the Department of Defense.

(B) Any funds made available in a Departments of Labor, Health

and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies

Appropriations Act.

(2) The limitation established in subsection (b) applies to the

following:

(A) Funds described in paragraph (1).

(B) Any funds made available for the Department of

Transportation.

(e) Notice of Determinations.--Whenever the Secretary of Defense

makes a determination under subsection (a), (b), or (c), the Secretary--

(1) shall transmit a notice of the determination to the

Secretary of Education and to Congress; and

(2) shall publish in the Federal Register a notice of the

determination and the effect of the determination on the eligibility

of the institution of higher education (and any subelement of that

institution) for contracts and grants.

(f) Semiannual Notice in Federal Register.--The Secretary of Defense

shall publish in the Federal Register once every six months a list of

each institution of higher education that is currently ineligible for

contracts and grants by reason of a determination of the Secretary under

subsection (a) or (b).

(Added Pub. L. 104-106, div. A, title V, Sec. 541(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110

Stat. 315; amended Pub. L. 106-65, div. A, title V, Sec. 549(a)(1), Oct.

5, 1999, 113 Stat. 609.)

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub.

L. 103-337, div. A, title V, Sec. 558, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2776, as

amended, and Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, title I, Sec. 101(e) [title V,

Sec. 514], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-233, 3009-270, which were set

out as notes under section 503 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L.

106-65, Sec. 549(b).

Amendments

1999--Pub. L. 106-65 amended section catchline and text generally.

Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (d) relating to

denial of Department of Defense grants and contracts to institutions of

higher education that have anti-ROTC policies.

Funds Available Solely for Student Financial Assistance

Pub. L. 106-79, title VIII, Sec. 8120, Oct. 25, 1999, 113 Stat.

1260, provided that: ``During the current fiscal year and hereafter, any

Federal grant of funds to an institution of higher education to be

available solely for student financial assistance or related

administrative costs may be used for the purpose for which the grant is

made without regard to any provision to the contrary in section 514 of

the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and

Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1997 ([former] 10 U.S.C. 503 note),

or section 983 of title 10, United States Code.''