This legislation, titled the "Restoring Merit in the Military Service Academies Act," aims to fundamentally alter the admissions process for the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy, and Air Force Academy. It mandates that all appointments and selections to these prestigious institutions be made exclusively based on a candidate's order of merit, as determined by a standardized candidate composite score. A central provision of the bill is the explicit prohibition against considering an applicant's race, sex, color, ethnicity, national origin, or religion during the admissions determination.

The bill defines the candidate composite score as a uniformly calculated metric for each applicant. The academic component of this score must constitute at least 60 percent of the overall score, with standardized test scores specifically weighted at no less than 45 percent of the total. Conversely, any subjective components of the composite score are limited to a maximum of 10 percent, and any subjectively based adjustments to the score cannot exceed 10 percent of the original score. The bill emphasizes that only these composite scores shall be used to determine the order of merit for admission.

To ensure transparency and accountability, the legislation imposes new annual reporting requirements on the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. These reports, due by October 1st each year, must detail the minimum composite and college entrance examination rank (CEER) scores used in the preceding admissions cycle. Furthermore, they must disclose all waivers granted for these minimum scores, including the specific scores of the waived individuals, the reasons for the waivers, and their appointment categories. The reports also require a four-year tracking of waived cadets and midshipmen, noting their academic and military performance, conduct violations, and current status at the academies.