H.R. 9079: Targeted Restrictions Upholding Service Trustworthiness Act

This bill, known as the Targeted Restrictions Upholding Service Trustworthiness Act (or TRUST Act), aims to amend the United States Code to impose restrictions on the appointment and enlistment of foreign nationals in the Armed Forces, particularly those from countries deemed adversarial to the United States.

Key Provisions

The bill includes several significant provisions:

1. Prohibition on Enlistment

The bill proposes to amend Section 504 of Title 10 of the United States Code by adding a new clause that prohibits any individual who is a national of a "covered nation" (a term defined in the bill, which refers to certain countries considered adversaries) from enlisting in the Armed Forces. This means that individuals from these nations would be barred from joining the military.

2. Prohibition on Appointment

In addition to enlistment, the bill seeks to amend Section 532(a) of Title 10, introducing a requirement that individuals who seek to be appointed as military officers must not have been nationals of any covered nation during the five years prior to their appointment date. This regulation aims to ensure that newly appointed officers do not have recent ties to adversarial foreign countries.

3. Review of Existing Personnel

The bill mandates that, within one year of its enactment, the Secretary of Defense must submit a report to the relevant congressional committees. This report should:

• Identify current members of the Armed Forces who are foreign nationals from covered nations.
• Specify the date each identified member joined the Armed Forces.
• List the years of service of each identified member.
• Indicate how many of these members are in the process of seeking U.S. citizenship.

4. Applicability

The restrictions outlined in the bill would apply to anyone enlisting or being appointed to the Armed Forces after a 180-day period post-enactment. This means that once the bill becomes law, any new enlistments or appointments would have to adhere to these new regulations immediately after this timeframe.

5. Justifications

In its findings, the bill emphasizes the importance of loyalty and integrity within the Armed Forces as critical to national security. It expresses concerns that allowing individuals from adversarial nations to serve can pose risks of espionage, foreign influence, and compromise of sensitive information.

Relevant Companies

• None found