There are a number of merit badges that were updated in 2021 and 2022. The updated badge requirements are posted at:
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 (4b; requirements 8-11 reordered)
- Citizenship in Society (new)
- Collections (1, 5a, 5c, 5e, 5f; deleted 7; added 3d)
- Digital Technology (5b)
- Disability Awareness (1a, 1b)
- Electricity (10)
- Electronics (5c)
- Fish and Wildlife Management (3)
- Fishing (10)
- Fly-Fishing (10, 11)
- Health Care Professions (was Medicine)
- Lifesaving (1, 2, 15, 16)
- Medicine (now Health Care Professions)
- Motorboating (1a, 2a, 3a, 4, 5a, 5c)
- Photography (1a, 1b)
- Public Health (1)
- Rowing (2)
- Sports (1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4)
- Theater (5, added 3j)
- Woodwork (7)
Changes made in 2022:
- Animation 3a
- Astronomy 1 cd
- Athletics 1b, 3d
- Canoeing 4a, 5c, 13 dropped
- Citizenship in the Nation - many changes
- Climbing 1b
- Coin Collecting 6
- Dentistry 1b
- First Aid 4, 8cd, 10, 11, 12
- Home Repairs 6
- Mining in Society 4, 8a
- Pioneering 2ab, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9
- Programming 5a - Scoutlife.org added
- Railroading 4, 5 - 7, 8b1
- Reading 1e
- Traffic Safety 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 Merit Badges web page:
www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancementand-awards/merit-badges. 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 section: 7.0.4.3
