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Exception for Secretary of Defense appointment from military service.

This law creates a one-time exception to the rule that requires a Secretary of Defense to be out of active military duty for at least seven years before appointment. It allows the first person appointed after January 20, 2021, to be a former officer who left service between four and seven years ago. This impacts who can lead the nation's defense, indirectly affecting the security of all citizens.
Key points
Allows a former military officer to be appointed as Secretary of Defense even if less than seven years (but not less than four years) have passed since their active duty.
This exception applies only to the first person nominated for the position after January 20, 2021.
The change aims to enable a specific individual to assume a key defense role, influencing the command structure of the armed forces.
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Status: Expired
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Additional Information
Print number: 117_S_11
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Process start date: 2021-01-06
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure — full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source—always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
Source data: api.congress.gov
AI work logs for this document launch

OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 117_S_11.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-01-06.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Allows a former military officer to be appointed as Secretary of Defense even if less than seven years (but not less than four years) have passed since their active duty.
  • This exception applies only to the first person nominated for the position after January 20, 2021.
  • The change aims to enable a specific individual to assume a key defense role, influencing the command structure of the armed forces.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 1.

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-29.

What is the impact of this bill?

We don't know—that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge.

CATEGORIES

Security