HR 335 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

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.

  1. IntroducedJan 15, 2021
  2. Passed HouseJan 21, 2021
  3. Passed SenateJan 21, 2021
  4. To the PresidentJan 21, 2021
  5. 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 callQuestionResultDate
Senate 4Bill Passed69–27Jan 21, 2021
House 18Passed326–78Jan 21, 2021

Cosponsors

Members who signed on, in the order they did.

No cosponsors are on file for this measure.

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseArmed Services Committee
Referred Jan 15, 2021

Actions 14

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Jan 22, 2021Signed by President.
  2. Jan 22, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-1.
  3. 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.
  4. Jan 21, 2021Consideration initiated pursuant to a previous order.
  5. Jan 21, 2021Considered pursuant to a previous order. (consideration: CR H209-219)

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.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
ExtensionsDebate and remarks E64, E66Bill Posey R-FL, Peter A. DeFazio D-ORJan 25, 2021
SenateDebate and remarks S103Michael F. Bennet D-COJan 22, 2021
House · SenateDebate 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 DefenseAdam 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-ORJan 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

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: The constitutional authority on which this bill rests is the power of Congress ``to provide for the common Defence'', ``to raise and support Armies'', ``to provide and maintain a Navy'' and ``to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces'' as enumerated in Article I, section 8 of the United States Constitution.

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.

ProductTitleKindPublished
R46406Voter Registration: Recent Developments and Issues for CongressReportOct 30, 2026
R46943Voter Registration Records and List Maintenance for Federal ElectionsReportOct 30, 2026
R45030Federal Role in Voter Registration: The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) and Subsequent DevelopmentsReportOct 29, 2026
LSB10837Ranked-Choice Voting: Legal Challenges and Considerations for CongressInsightOct 8, 2026
R45770The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC): Overview and Selected Issues for CongressReportSep 1, 2026
IN11618Congressional Redistricting Criteria and ConsiderationsInsightMay 20, 2026
R45951Apportionment and Redistricting Process for the U.S. House of RepresentativesReportMay 20, 2026
IF11286Election Security: Federal Funding for Securing Election SystemsResourceApr 20, 2026
R46646Election Administration: Federal Grant Programs for States and LocalitiesReportApr 20, 2026
R46949The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA): Overview and Ongoing Role in Election Administration PolicyReportMar 20, 2026
IN11053Redistricting Commissions for Congressional DistrictsInsightMar 4, 2026
R41542The State of Campaign Finance Policy: Recent Developments and Issues for CongressReportJul 29, 2025
R45104Guide to Committee Activity Reports: Purpose, Rules, and ContentsReportJun 2, 2025
R44974Ethics Pledges and Other Executive Branch Appointee Restrictions Since 1993: Historical Perspective, Current Practices, and Options for ChangeReportApr 28, 2025
RS20722The First Day of a New Congress: A Guide to Proceedings on the Senate FloorReportDec 19, 2024
R48309Joint Session of Congress for Counting Electoral Votes for PresidentReportDec 10, 2024
IN12222Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Campaign Finance Policy: Recent DevelopmentsInsightSep 25, 2024
IN11782Voter Registration Agencies Under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA)InsightApr 15, 2024
R47382Congressional Control over the Supreme CourtReportDec 6, 2023
IF12451H.R. 4563, the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) ActResourceJul 19, 2023
R47592Federal Standards and Guidelines for Voting Systems: Overview and Potential Considerations for CongressReportJun 12, 2023
IF12291Elections and Voting: Policy and Legal Issues for the 118th CongressResourceJan 5, 2023
IF12250Congressional Redistricting: Key Legal and Policy IssuesResourceNov 16, 2022
IF11356Election Security: States’ Spending of FY2018 and FY2020 HAVA Payments ArchivedResourceJul 8, 2022
LSB10734Campaign Finance and the First Amendment: Supreme Court Considers Constitutionality of Limits on Repayment of Candidate LoansInsightApr 26, 2022
TE10072Enhancing the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938TestimonyApr 8, 2022
LSB10255A Code of Conduct for the Supreme Court? Legal Questions and ConsiderationsInsightApr 6, 2022
IN11907Federal Election Commission Nomination Background ArchivedInsightApr 5, 2022
IN11841Elections Policy Overview and the 117th Congress ArchivedInsightJan 21, 2022
R46947U.S. Climate Change Policy ArchivedReportOct 28, 2021
R46910The Supreme Court’s October 2020 Term: A Review of Selected Major RulingsReportSep 14, 2021
LSB10639Congressional Redistricting 2021: Legal FrameworkInsightSep 10, 2021
R46878Permissible and Prohibited Uses of Campaign Funds: Frequently Asked Questions and Policy OverviewReportAug 18, 2021
LSB10624Voting Rights Act: Supreme Court Provides “Guideposts” for Determining Violations of Section 2 in Brnovich v. DNCInsightJul 14, 2021
IF11097H.R. 1 and S. 1: Overview and Related CRS Products ArchivedResourceMay 17, 2021
IF11802The Electoral College: Options for Change and 117th Congress Proposals ArchivedResourceApr 2, 2021

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.

  1. —Enrolled Bill
  2. Jan 21, 2021Received in Senate
  3. Jan 21, 2021Engrossed in House
  4. Jan 15, 2021Introduced in House

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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.