Scouts BSA Advancement Updates | effective January 1, 2024

Rank Requirements:
There were minor changes to Scout (6), and Star (6).  The Cyberchip has been phased out.

Eagle Palms:
Scouts BSA will no longer have to wait three months between Eagle Palms.

Merit badge with significant changes to content are:
• Automotive Maintenance – updated to include electric/hybrid vehicles (1c,d,e,f,g,h) (2a,b,c,d,e) (3c) (8a,e,f)
• Canoeing – major reorganization (3) (4b) (7) (8) (9)
• Coin Collecting – reorganization and updated for new/retired coinages (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
• Fire Safety – safety updates (1c) (2) (4) (6b,c,d,g) (7a) (9a) (10a) (11)
• First Aid – more hands-on (2) (4) (7) (8d) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16)
• Golf – reorganized and added disc golf option (1) (2)
• Insect Study – expanded requirements (2) (4) (6a,b) (12)
• Journalism – included social media (2a1)
• Nuclear Science – updated, more active options (1a,b,c,d,e) (2b) (3a,b) (4,4c) (6a,b)
• Safety – updated to include natural disasters (1c) (2c,d,e)
• Skating – added skateboarding option (1b)(2) (Skateboarding Option), Ice Skating Option (2b1) (2d2), Roller Skating Option (2c1)(2d2)
• Surveying – added use of drones (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)
• Sustainability* – major reorganization (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)
• Swimming* – added correct demonstration of strokes (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

Merit badges with minor changes include:

Backpacking* (11b)
Bird Study (2) (4) (7) (8c) (9d) (11) (12)
Camping* (9c)
Chemistry (2c) (5)
Cooking (5 a,b,c,d,e)
Digital Technology (1)
Engineering (5) (6c)
Fly-Fishing (3 b,c) (10)
Indian Lore (2) (3) (4) (5)
Law (1) (5) (11)
Mining in Society (8c)
Photography (1b)
Plant Science (8 Option 1: Agronomy E5c)
Programming (1a)
Radio (9a5)
Scouting Heritage (2b3, b4) (3) (4c)