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Exception for Secretary of Defense appointment from military service.

This act creates a one-time exception to the rule requiring the Secretary of Defense to have been 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 is a procedural change that does not directly impact citizens' daily lives but affects the selection process for a key national defense official.
Key points
The act permits a former 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 is a one-time measure and solely concerns the qualifications for the Secretary of Defense position.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
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.
Print number: S 12
Sponsor: Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY]
Process start date: 2021-01-03
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with 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
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Exception for Secretary of Defense appointment from military service.

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is S 12.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2021-01-03.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • The act permits a former 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 is a one-time measure and solely concerns the qualifications for the Secretary of Defense position.

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: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 3.

Is this summary verified?

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

Analysis and Potential Impact of S 12

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. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

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