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.
Latest action · Jan 22, 2021 Became Public Law No: 117-1.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 15, 2021
- Passed HouseJan 21, 2021
- Passed SenateJan 21, 2021
- To the PresidentJan 21, 2021
- Became lawJan 22, 2021Public Law 117-1
Summary
This bill allows the first person nominated and appointed as Secretary of Defense after 12 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on January 20, 2021, to be a person who is, on the date of appointment, at least four years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer of a regular component of the Armed Forces. Under current law, an individual may not be appointed as Secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from such active duty.
Recorded votes 2
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate 4 | On Passage of the Bill H.R. 335 | Bill Passed69–27 | Jan 21, 2021 |
| House 18 | On Passage | Passed326–78 | Jan 21, 2021 |
Cosponsors
Members who signed on, in the order they did.
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Armed Services Committee | Referred Jan 15, 2021 |
Actions 14
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jan 22, 2021Signed by President.
- Jan 22, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-1.
- Jan 21, 2021ORDER OF PROCEDURE - Mr. McGovern asked for unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to consider H.R. 335 in the House if called up by the chair of the Committee on Armed Services or his designee; that all points of order against consideration of the bill be waived; that the bill be considered as read; that all points of order against provisions in the bill be waiverd; and that the previous question be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit. Agreed to without objection.
- Jan 21, 2021Consideration initiated pursuant to a previous order.
- Jan 21, 2021Considered pursuant to a previous order. (consideration: CR H209-219)
- Jan 21, 2021DEBATE - Pursuant to a previous special order, the House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 335.
- Jan 21, 2021The previous question was ordered pursuant to a previous order of the House.
- Jan 21, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 326 - 78 (Roll no. 18). (text: CR H210)
- Jan 21, 2021Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jan 21, 2021Passed/agreed to in Senate: Received in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed (under the order of 1/21/21, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative) without amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 69 - 27. Record Vote Number: 4. (consideration: CR S86-87)
- Jan 21, 2021Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jan 21, 2021Presented to President.
- Jan 15, 2021Introduced in House
- Jan 15, 2021Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E64, E66 | Bill Posey R-FL, Peter A. DeFazio D-OR | Jan 25, 2021 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S103 | Michael F. Bennet D-CO | Jan 22, 2021 |
| House · Senate | Debate and remarks H209–H219, S84–S87Text printed H210Recorded votes H219, S87provideDeclaratory Statements H227Lists H219Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 335, provide for exception to Dept. of Defense rule requiring seven-year wait for retired Armed Forces members to be eligible for position of Sec. of Defense | Adam Smith D-WA, Anthony G. Brown D-MD, Bill Foster D-IL, Charles E. Schumer D-NY, Chris Jacobs R-NY, Chris Van Hollen D-MD, Dan Sullivan R-AK, Darrell Issa R-CA, David N. Cicilline D-RI, Doug Lamborn R-CO, Earl L. "Buddy" Carter R-GA, Eddie Bernice Johnson D-TX, James P. McGovern D-MA, Jason Crow D-CO, Marcy Kaptur D-OH, Mike Gallagher R-WI, Mike Rogers R-AL, Nancy Pelosi D-CA, Ro Khanna D-CA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX, Stacey E. Plaskett D-VI, Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Stephen F. Lynch D-MA, Steven Horsford D-NV, Susan M. Collins R-ME, Suzanne Bonamici D-OR | Jan 21, 2021 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 9, January 15, 2021, page H199.
CRS reports 36
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 36
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R46406 | Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for Congress | Report | Oct 30, 2026 |
| R46943 | Voter Registration Records and List Maintenance for Federal Elections | Report | Oct 30, 2026 |
| R45030 | Federal Role in Voter Registration: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and Subsequent Developments | Report | Oct 29, 2026 |
| LSB10837 | Ranked-Choice Voting: Legal Challenges and Considerations for Congress | Insight | Oct 8, 2026 |
| R45770 | The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): Overview and Selected Issues for Congress | Report | Sep 1, 2026 |
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 1
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- 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.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jan 21, 2021Received in Senate
- Jan 21, 2021Engrossed in House
- Jan 15, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
