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INSIGHTi
FY2024 NDAA: Junior Reserve Officer
Training Corps (JROTC) Matters
July 24, 2023
Background
The Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) is a congressionally mandated and funded
Department of Defense (DOD) program of instruction with participation of approximately 500,000
students in more than 3,400 secondary schools. It is administered by the military departments (Army,
Navy, and Air Force) and instruction is provided primarily by retired military servicemembers. The
military services exercise oversight for the program in coordination with local educational agencies
(LEAs).
The program has garnered attention in the 117th and 118th Congresses following reporting on instructor
misconduct, curriculum standards, and allegations of coerced enrollment, among other matters. While
program oversight has raised concerns, a 2023 study by the RAND Corporation of JROTC outcomes has
linked high school participation in the program with increased likelihood for graduation, higher
attendance rates, and lower disciplinary actions. It also found that JROTC participants are more likely
than other high school students to enlist, complete their first term of enlistment, and to pursue science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)-related occupational specialties than other enlistees in
the Army. In 2020, the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service pointed to JROTC
as a catalyst for increasing civic education and sparking interest in military service, and recommended
expanding and strengthening JROTC programs. Some observers have suggested that expanding the
JROTC program could help to mitigate recruiting shortfalls by increasing youth propensity to serve.
For additional background, see CRS InFocus CRS In Focus IF11313, Defense Primer: Junior Reserve
Officers’ Training Corps, by Kristy N. Kamarck.
Legislation
During consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA; H.R. 2670;
S. 2226), the House and Senate have proposed several amendments to JROTC authorities (see Table 1
and discussion of provisions below).
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Table 1. Selected JROTC Provisions in the FY2024 NDAA
Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)-reported
House-passed (H.R. 2670)
(S. 2226)
Program Structure
No similar provision.
Section 571 would mandate at least 3,400 JROTC units and
no more than 4,000, and would strike statutory language
about “fair and equitable distribution of units.”
Section 553 would prohibit the establishment or
No similar provision.
maintenance of a JROTC unit at an educational institution
owned, operated, or control ed by the Chinese
Communist Party.
Section 552 would expand eligibility requirements for
Section 574 would clarify eligibility requirements for JROTC
JROTC instructors and modify how instructor salaries are
instructors and modify how instructor salaries are
determined.
determined.
Program Accountability
No similar provision.
Section 572 would codify the authority to suspend or place
on probation JROTC units and would require reports to
Congress on suspended and probationary units.
No similar provision.
Section 573 would require DOD to establish a standard
memorandum of understanding (MOU) for institutions
hosting JROTC units with processes for reporting violations.
No similar provision.
Section 575 would require an annual report to Congress on
allegations of sexual misconduct in JROTC units.
No similar provision.
Section 576 would require a Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report on DOD efforts to increase
transparency and reporting on sexual violence in JROTC.
Source: CRS analysis of legislation on Congress.gov.
Program Structure
Section 571 of S. 2226 would set mandatory parameters for the number of JROTC units (between 3,400
and 4,000). The military departments reported 3,499 total units in FY2023 (see Table 2) with a planned
increase of 15 units in FY2024. Prior legislation (P.L. 110-417, §548, as amended) encouraged DOD to
develop plans for JROTC expansion to 3,700 units and to report to Congress on efforts to “increase
distribution of units.” Section 571 would also remove language under 10 U.S.C. §2031(a) that mandates
“fair and equitable distribution” of units throughout the Nation.
Section 553 of H.R. 2670 would prohibit the establishment or maintenance of a JROTC unit at an
educational institution owned, operated, or controlled by an individual or entity with connections to the
Chinese Communist Party. Some observers have raised concerns about China’s influence and investment
in elementary and secondary education in the United States.
Table 2. Number of Funded JROTC Units
Military Service Branch
FY2023
FY2024 (request)
Army
1,729
1,734
Navy
658
658
Marine Corps
254
252
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Military Service Branch
FY2023
FY2024 (request)
Air Force
848
853
Space Force
10
17
Total
3,499
3,514
Source: Military Department budget justification books. Navy and Marine Corps figures include Navy National Defense
Cadet Corps (NNDCC) units.
Similar provisions in the House and SASC-reported bills (Sections 552 and 574, respectively) would
clarify the authority to employ certain non-retirement eligible veterans and reserve component members
as JROTC instructors. This follows an expansion of instructor eligibility in the FY2023 NDAA (P.L. 117-
263, §512). These provisions would also create a new pay structure for instructors. Military departments
subsidize JROTC instructors by reimbursing the host LEA for a portion of the salary. The services fund
these subsidies through their military personnel (MILPERS) appropriations (see Table 3). The Minimum
Instructor Pay (MIP) required to be paid be the LEA is the difference between the (1) active duty pay the
instructor would receive if recalled to active duty and (2) instructor's retired pay entitlement. The military
service is required by 10 U.S.C. §2031(e) to reimburse the LEA for up to one-half of the MIP.
Changes to the military retirement system in the FY2016 NDAA (P.L. 114-92) that reduce the retired pay
multiplier (thereby increasing the MIP) would likely increase DOD’s costs for instructor salaries. Section
552 of the House bill would require the Secretary of Defense to prescribe a new joint service instructor
pay scale (JSIPS) system that could potentially lower DOD’s costs, depending on how the pay scale is
structured. Both H.R. 2670 and S. 2226 would require DOD to subsidize a minimum of one-half of the
JSIPS salary while the host LEA would be responsible for the remaining salary. The proposed legislation
does not define parameters for the JSIPS, thus providing discretionary authority to DOD to establish such
parameters under its financial management regulations for JROTC instructor pay.
Table 3. JROTC Program Funding
Dollars in millions
FY2023 Enacted
FY2024 Request
Military Service
O&M
MILPERS
O&M
MILPERS
Army
$202.501
$24.660
$204.895
$24.660
Navy
$60.694
$15.924
$58.970
$16.534
Marine Corps
$33.160
$3.999
$29.616
$4.079
Air Force
$76.037
$19.812
$75.666
$24.657
Total
$372.392
$64.395
$369.147
$69.930
Source: CRS Analysis of Defense Budget Materials.
Notes: MILPERS is Military Personnel appropriations and funds instructor salaries, O&M is Operation and Maintenance
appropriations and funds uniforms, cadet travel, training aids, text books, educational materials, and other unit operating
expenses.
Program Accountability
Several provisions in S. 2226 would seek to improve JROTC oversight and accountability, in particular
with respect to sexual misconduct by JROTC instructors. Section 573 would require DOD to establish a
standard memorandum of understanding (MOU) for JROTC units and LEAs specifying requirements and
processes for reporting allegations of misconduct, certifying instructors, inspecting units, and training
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students. Section 572 would codify authorities to suspend or place units on probation for violating the
established standards. Section 575 would require annual reporting for a period of five years starting in
March 2024 on allegations of sexual misconduct in JROTC units. Information in these reports would be
similar to information collected under DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program. Under
Section 576, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) would be required to report on DOD’s
implementation of these mandated activities. While these actions could provide greater accountability
over JROTC, additional administrative burdens on LEAs could discourage participation in the program.
Author Information
Kristy N. Kamarck
Specialist in Military Manpower
Disclaimer
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to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
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