Washington DC - The US government has begun making moves to automatically register eligible men for a military draft by the end of this year.

According to the website for the Selective Service System (SSS) – the federal agency that oversees a database of men to be called up to serve in the event of a national emergency – submitted a rule proposal to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30 that aims to do away with self-registration and save the government money.

"This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources," the agency said.

"SSS will implement the change by December 2026, resulting in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment."

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The proposal comes after Congress approved automatic registration last year as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

For years, American men between the ages of 18 and 25 have been required by law to register with the SSS. Failing to do so is a felony that can result in a fine of up to $250,000 or five years' imprisonment. Non-registrants can also be denied student loans, government jobs, and citizenship if an individual is an immigrant.

The new rule still needs to be reviewed and approved by the Regulatory Affairs office before becoming official.

The last draft implemented in the US was in 1973 during the controversial Vietnam War, but fears that the draft may be brought back have been revived as President Donald Trump is currently waging a controversial war against Iran, which has so far killed 13 US soldiers.

The president – who has dodged several US drafts in the past – has delivered contradictory statements about the war, sparking confusion about whether more troops will be sent to the region, when the conflict will end, and how far he's willing to take it to get the results he wants.

Back in March, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stirred up controversy after she denied to rule out implementing a draft, adding that Trump "wisely keeps his options on the table."