10 U.S.C. § 580a

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)

Section 580a - Enhanced authority for selective early discharges

(a) The Secretary of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military department, during the period beginning on October 1, 2015, and ending on October 1, 2019, to take the action set forth in subsection (b) with respect to regular warrant officers of an armed force under the jurisdiction of that Secretary.

(b) The Secretary of a military department may, with respect to regular warrant officers of an armed force, when authorized to do so under subsection (a), convene selection boards under section 573(c) of this title to consider for discharge regular warrant officers on the warrant officer active-duty list-

(1) who have served at least one year of active duty in the grade currently held;

(2) whose names are not on a list of warrant officers recommended for promotion; and

(3) who are not eligible to be retired under any provision of law and are not within two years of becoming so eligible.

(c)

(1) In the case of an action under subsection (b), the Secretary of the military department concerned may submit to a selection board convened pursuant to that subsection-

(A) the names of all regular warrant officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category; or

(B) the names of all regular warrant officers described in that subsection in a particular grade and competitive category who also are in particular year groups or specialties, or both, within that competitive category.

(2) The Secretary concerned shall specify the total number of warrant officers to be recommended for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to subsection (b). That number may not be more than 30 percent of the number of officers considered-

(A) in each grade in each competitive category; or

(B) in each grade, year group, or specialty (or combination thereof) in each competitive category.

(3) A warrant officer who is recommended for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to subsection (b) and whose discharge is approved by the Secretary concerned shall be discharged on a date specified by the Secretary concerned.

(4) Selection of warrant officers for discharge under this subsection shall be based on the needs of the service.

(d) The discharge of any warrant officer pursuant to this section shall be considered involuntary for purposes of any other provision of law.

(e) This section applies to the Secretary of Homeland Security in the same manner and to the same extent as it applies to the Secretary of Defense. The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall take the action set forth in subsection (b) with respect to regular warrant officers of the Coast Guard.

10 U.S.C. § 580a

Added Pub. L. 103-160, div. A, title V, §504(a), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1644; amended Pub. L. 103-337, div. A, title V, §541(g), title X, §1070(a)(3), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2767, 2855; Pub. L. 107-296, §1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 114-92, div. A, title V, §501, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 806.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS2015-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114-92, §501(1), substituted "October 1, 2015, and ending on October 1, 2019" for "November 30, 1993, and ending on October 1, 1999".Subsec. (c)(3) to (5). Pub. L. 114-92, §501(2), redesignated pars. (4) and (5) as (3) and (4), respectively, and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: "The total number of regular warrant officers described in subsection (b) from any of the armed forces (or from any of the armed forces in a particular grade) who may be recommended during a fiscal year for discharge by a selection board convened pursuant to the authority of that subsection may not exceed 70 percent of the decrease, as compared to the preceding fiscal year, in the number of warrant officers of that armed force (or the number of warrant officers of that armed force in that grade) authorized to be serving on active duty as of the end of that fiscal year."2002-Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 107-296 substituted "of Homeland Security" for "of Transportation". 1994-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-337, §1070(a)(3), substituted "November 30, 1993," for "the date of the enactment of this section".Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103-337, §541(g), added subsec. (e).

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2002 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 107-296 effective on the date of transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, see section 1704(g) of Pub. L. 107-296, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1994 AMENDMENT Amendment by section 541(g) of Pub. L. 103-337 effective on the first day of the fourth month beginning after Oct. 5, 1994, see section 541(h) of Pub. L. 103-337, set out as a note under section 571 of this title.

Secretary concerned: The term "Secretary concerned" means-(A) the Secretary of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army;(B) the Secretary of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Department of the Navy;(C) the Secretary of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force and the Space Force; and(D) the Secretary of Homeland Security, with respect to matters concerning the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.
active duty: The term "active duty" means full-time duty in the active military service of the United States, including sustained duty in the Space Force. Such term includes full-time training duty, annual training duty, and attendance, while in the active military service, at a school designated as a service school by law or by the Secretary of the military department concerned. Such term does not include full-time National Guard duty.
active-duty list: The term "active-duty list" means a single list for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force (required to be maintained under section 620 of this title) which contains the names of all officers of that armed force, other than officers described in section 641 of this title, who are serving on active duty.
armed forces: The term "armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
grade: The term "grade" means a step or degree, in a graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and designated as a grade by law or regulation.
warrant officer: The term "warrant officer" means a person who holds a commission or warrant in a warrant officer grade.