The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a significant defense bill that includes a provision to automatically enroll young men between the ages of 18 and 26 for the Selective Service. This provision aims to replace the traditional coming-of-age process where 18-year-old male U.S. citizens receive a card in the mail, informing them of their

requirement to register for the Selective Service under threat of criminal penalties. The automatic registration is framed as a more efficient and cost-effective method, using available federal databases. However, it also removes young men’s choice to engage in civil disobedience. The draft, which ended in 1975, remains a topic of debate and bipartisan efforts.