Voters should care because JROTC is a major leadership and career-prep program for millions of high schoolers and serves as a primary pipeline for future military service. Many programs are currently at risk of closing because the pay offered to veterans doesn't cover the cost of living in expensive cities or compete with other civilian jobs.

If this becomes law, it forces the military to use hard data to identify exactly where the pay system is failing. This is a necessary first step toward raising instructor salaries. If it doesn't pass, the military will continue to lack a standardized way to measure why instructors are quitting, potentially leading to more shuttered programs and fewer opportunities for students.