H.R. 335 · 117th Congress

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.

Introduced on Jan 15, 2021 by Adam Smith (D-WA-9). Became Public Law 117-1.

Stage
Became law
Public Law 117-1
Introduced
Jan 15, 2021
Cosponsors
0
Policy area
Armed Forces and National Security
Open in the Congress explorerCongress.govAlert me

Progress

The furthest stage the measure reached. Simple and concurrent resolutions do not go to the President.

  1. Introduced
  2. Reported by committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Sent to the President
  6. Became law

Subjects

  • Department of Defense
  • Federal officials
  • Military command and structure
  • Military personnel and dependents
  • Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents

Summary

By the Congressional Research Service (Public Law, Jan 22, 2021). Public domain.

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.

Sponsor and cosponsors

Cosponsors by party as of the day they signed on. Original cosponsors signed on the day of introduction.

Adam SmithD-WA-9Sponsor

No cosponsors.

Roll calls

Recorded votes on the measure. Most measures move by voice vote or unanimous consent, which record no individual positions.

  1. On Passage
    Jan 21, 2021· House· Passage· Passed 326–78
  2. On Passage of the Bill
    Jan 21, 2021· Senate· Passage· Bill Passed 69–27

History

Every action as published, oldest first. Roll calls link to how each member voted.

  1. Jan 15, 2021Introduced in House
  2. Jan 15, 2021Introduced in House
  3. Jan 15, 2021 · HouseReferred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
  4. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseORDER 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.
  5. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseConsideration initiated pursuant to a previous order.
  6. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseConsidered pursuant to a previous order. (consideration: CR H209-219)
  7. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseDEBATE - Pursuant to a previous special order, the House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 335.
  8. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseThe previous question was ordered pursuant to a previous order of the House.
  9. Jan 21, 2021Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 326 - 78 (Roll no. 18).(text: CR H210)House · Roll call 18
  10. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseOn passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 326 - 78 (Roll no. 18). (text: CR H210)House · Roll call 18
  11. Jan 21, 2021 · HouseMotion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  12. 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)Senate · Roll call 4
  13. Jan 21, 2021 · SenateReceived 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)Senate · Roll call 4
  14. Jan 21, 2021 · SenateMessage on Senate action sent to the House.
  15. Jan 21, 2021Presented to President.
  16. Jan 21, 2021 · HousePresented to President.
  17. Jan 22, 2021Signed by President.
  18. Jan 22, 2021Signed by President.
  19. Jan 22, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-1.
  20. Jan 22, 2021Became Public Law No: 117-1.

Committees

Committees and subcommittees the measure was referred to.

Agencies in its committees' jurisdiction

Analisa's mapping of committee jurisdiction to federal agencies; the bill may touch others, or none of these.

Sources and method

Every figure on this page traces to these records.

  • Bill status: bills and resolutions, sponsors, actions, subjects and CRS summaries (U.S. Government Publishing Office (GovInfo), from Congress.gov (Library of Congress))GovInfo Bill Status bulk data (Congress.gov; summaries by the Congressional Research Service) · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Members of Congress, their terms, committees and identifiers (The @unitedstates project (from the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress, the House and the Senate))unitedstates/congress-legislators: legislators, committees and current committee membership · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication)
  • House roll-call votes (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, roll-call vote records · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Senate roll-call votes and DW-NOMINATE scores (Voteview (UCLA Department of Political Science))Lewis, Jeffrey B., Keith Poole, Howard Rosenthal, Adam Boche, Aaron Rudkin, and Luke Sonnet (2026). Voteview: Congressional Roll-Call Votes Database. https://voteview.com/ · data current to Oct 3, 2026 · loaded Oct 3, 2026 · license: Free to use with the required citation
  • Lobbying disclosures (LD-1 registrations, LD-2 quarterly reports, LD-203 contribution reports) (Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives)Clerk of the House, Lobbying Disclosure Act filings (organizations only; lobbyists' names are not loaded) · data current to Oct 5, 2026 · loaded Oct 5, 2026 · license: Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. § 105)
  • Positions are shown only where a roll call recorded them; voice votes and unanimous consent record none.