Policy for Military Service Academy and Reserve Officers' Training Corps Graduates Seeking to Participate in Professional Sports

• Published date: 01 July 2019
• Citation: 84 FR 31457
• Record Number: 2019-14194
• Section: Presidential Documents
• Court: Executive Office Of The President

Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 126 (Monday, July 1, 2019)

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 126 (Monday, July 1, 2019)]
                [Presidential Documents]
                [Pages 31457-31458]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-14194]
                [[Page 31455]]
                Vol. 84
                Monday,
                No. 126
                July 1, 2019
                Part IIIThe President-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                Memorandum of June 26, 2019--Policy for Military Service Academy and
                Reserve Officers' Training Corps Graduates Seeking to Participate in
                Professional Sports
                 Presidential Documents
                Federal Register / Vol. 84 , No. 126 / Monday, July 1, 2019 /
                Presidential Documents
                ___________________________________________________________________
                Title 3--
                The President
                [[Page 31457]]
                 Memorandum of June 26, 2019
                
                 Policy for Military Service Academy and Reserve
                 Officers' Training Corps Graduates Seeking to
                 Participate in Professional Sports
                 Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense
                 By the authority vested in me as President by the
                 Constitution and the laws of the United States of
                 America, I hereby order as follows:
                 Section 1. Background. Under current Department of
                 Defense (DOD) policy, new graduates of the Military
                 Service Academies (Academies) and Reserve Officers'
                 Training Corps (ROTC) programs cannot pursue careers in
                 professional sports until after they have served 2
                 years of commissioned service in the Armed Forces. As I
                 recently stated, these student-athletes should be able
                 to defer their military service obligations until they
                 have completed their professional sports careers. Such
                 cadets and midshipmen have a short window of time to
                 take advantage of their athletic talents during which
                 playing professional sports is realistically possible.
                 At the same time, these student-athletes should honor
                 the commitment they made to serve in the Armed Forces
                 in exchange for the extraordinary benefits afforded to
                 them at taxpayer expense at the Academies or ROTC
                 programs. A revised policy will benefit the student-
                 athletes, the Academies and ROTC programs, and the
                 Armed Forces.
                 Sec. 2. Revised Sports Policy. (a) The Secretary of
                 Defense (Secretary) shall develop a policy that
                 authorizes new graduates of the Academies and ROTC
                 programs to pursue professional sports opportunities
                 immediately following graduation, consistent with their
                 military service obligation (Revised Sports Policy).
                 (b) The Secretary shall submit the Revised Sports
                 Policy to the President, through the Assistant to the
                 President for National Security Affairs, no later than
                 120 days from the date of this memorandum.
                 Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
                 memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
                 affect:
                (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
                the head thereof; or
                (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
                relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
                 (b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
                 with applicable law and subject to the availability of
                 appropriations.
                [[Page 31458]]
                 (c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
                 not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
                 procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
                 party against the United States, its departments,
                 agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
                 agents, or any other person.
                 (d) You are authorized and directed to publish this
                 memorandum in the Federal Register.
                
                
                 (Presidential Sig.)
                 THE WHITE HOUSE,
                 Washington, June 26, 2019
                [FR Doc. 2019-14194
                Filed 6-28-19; 11:15 am]
                Billing code 5001-06-P