03/09/2022
There are a number of merit badges that were updated in 2021 and 2022. The updated badge requirements are posted at:
https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/resources/
Unless otherwise indicated, if a Scout has started a merit badge under the old requirements, they may complete the badge using the old requirements. Scouts must start badges using the new requirements.
Changes Made in 2021:
Archaeology 7 (4b; requirements 8-11 reordered)
Citizenship in Society 43 (new)
Collections 18 (1, 5a, 5c, 5e, 5f; deleted 7; added 3d)
Digital Technology 17 (5b)
Disability Awareness 31 (1a, 1b)
Electricity 10 (10)
Electronics 10 (5c)
Fish and Wildlife Management 14 (3)
Fishing 45 (10)
Fly-Fishing 13 (10, 11)
Health Care Professions 15 (was Medicine)
Lifesaving 17 (1, 2, 15, 16)
Medicine (now Health Care Professions)
Motorboating 13 (1a, 2a, 3a, 4, 5a, 5c)
Photography 22 (1a, 1b)
Public Health 17 (1)
Rowing 8 (2)
Sports 11 (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4)
Theater 9 (5, added 3j)
Woodwork 16 (7)
Changes made in 2022:
Animation 23 3a
Astronomy 21 1 cd
Athletics 14 1b, 3d
Canoeing 51 4a, 5c, 13 dropped
Citizenship in the Nation 274 - many changes
Climbing 21 1b
Coin Collecting 26 6
Dentistry 14 1b
First Aid 93 4, 8cd, 10, 11, 12
Home Repairs 26 6
Mining in Society 12 4, 8a
Pioneering 21 2ab, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9
Programming 22 5a - Scoutlife.org 14 added
Railroading 22 4, 5 - 7, 8b1
Reading 63 1e
Traffic Safety 24 1c, 2a, 3abcd, 4b, 5b, drop 5d
The 2021 and 2022 changes are in Scoutbook.
What to Do When Requirements Change
Merit badge requirements, along with changes to them, can be found at the Scouting.org 6 Merit Badges web page:
www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancementand-awards/merit-badges 49. Once new or revised requirements appears on that page, any Scout beginning work on a merit badge must use the requirement as stated there.
Changes may also be introduced in a revised merit badge pamphlet, youth handbook, or other official BSA publication or release before appearing on the Merit Badges web page. In this case, unless official communications set forth a different procedure or establish a date by when use of the old requirements must cease, youth members have through December 31 of that year to decide what to do. They may continue—or begin work— using the old requirements, or they may switch to—or begin work—using the new requirements. Scouts who choose to use the old requirements may continue using them until the merit badge is completed. Scouts who have not begun work on a badge by December 31 of the year a change in its requirements is announced must use the new requirements.
There is no time limit between starting and completing a badge, although a counselor may determine so much time has passed since any effort took place that the new requirements must be used.
Ref: Guide to Advancement 5 section: 7.0.4.3
