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United States Code (Last Updated: May 24, 2014) |
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Title 10. ARMED FORCES |
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SubTitle A. General Military Law |
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Part I. ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS |
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Chapter 3. GENERAL POWERS AND FUNCTIONS |
§ 125. Functions, powers, and duties: transfer, reassignment, consolidation, or abolition
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(a) Subject to section 2 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401), the Secretary of Defense shall take appropriate action (including the transfer, reassignment, consolidation, or abolition of any function, power, or duty) to provide more effective, efficient, and economical administration and operation, and to eliminate duplication, in the Department of Defense. However, except as provided by subsections (b) and (c), a function, power, or duty vested in the Department of Defense, or an officer, official, or agency thereof, by law may not be substantially transferred, reassigned, consolidated, or abolished. (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), if the President determines it to be necessary because of hostilities or an imminent threat of hostilities, any function, power, or duty vested by law in the Department of Defense, or an officer, official, or agency thereof, including one assigned to the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps by section 3062(b), 5062, 5063, or 8062(c) of this title, may be transferred, reassigned, or consolidated. The transfer, reassignment, or consolidation remains in effect until the President determines that hostilities have terminated or that there is no longer an imminent threat of hostilities, as the case may be. (c) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense may assign or reassign the development and operational use of new weapons or weapons systems to one or more of the military departments or one or more of the armed forces.
Historical And Revision
Historical and Revision Notes | ||
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Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
125(a)
125(b)
125(c) 125(d) | 5:171a(c)(1), (2). 5:171n(a) (as applicable to 5:171a(c)(1)). 5:171a(c)(5). 5:171n(a) (as applicable to 5:171a(c)(5)). 5:171a(c)(4). 5:171a(c)(6). 5:171n(a) (as applicable to 5:171a(c)(6)). | July 26, 1947, ch. 343, § 202(c)(1), (2), (4), (5), (6); added Aug. 10, 1949, ch. 412, § 5(3d, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th pars.); restated Aug. 6, 1958, Pub. L. 85–599, § 3(a), (1st, 2d, 5th, 6th, and 7th pars.), 72 Stat. 514, 515. |
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| July 26, 1947, ch. 343, § 308(a) (as applicable to § 202(c)(1), (5), (6)), 61 Stat. 509. |
In subsection (a), the following substitutions are made: “Except as provided by subsections (b) and (c)” for “except as otherwise provided in this subsection”; “vested . . . by law” for “established by law to be performed by”; “recommending” for “stating”; “proposes” for “contemplates”; and “the period” for “the thirty-day period or the forty-day period”. The words “on the first day after” are inserted for clarity. The words “if carried out” are omitted as surplusage.
In subsection (b), the words “Notwithstanding subsection (a)” are substituted for the words “Notwithstanding other provisions of this subsection”; and “Unless the President determines otherwise” for “subject to the determination of the President”.
In subsection (c), the following substitutions are made: “Notwithstanding subsection (a)” for “Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) hereof”; and “armed forces” for “services”.
In subsection (d), the following substitutions are made: “In subsection (a) (1)” for “within the meaning of paragraph (1) hereof”; and “considers” for “deems”. The words “advantageous to the Government in terms of” are omitted as surplusage.
References In Text
The National Security Act of 1947, referred to in subsec. (a), is act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, 61 Stat. 495, which was formerly classified principally to chapter 15 (§ 401 et seq.) of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to editorial reclassification in chapter 44 (§ 3001 et seq.) of Title 50. Section 2 of the Act is now classified to section 3002 of Title 50. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.
Amendments
1990—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–510 struck out at end “However, notwithstanding any other provision of this title or any other law, the Secretary of Defense shall not direct or approve a plan to initiate or effect a substantial reduction or elimination of a major weapons system until the Secretary of Defense has reported all the pertinent details of the proposed action to the Congress of the United States while the Congress is in session.”
1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–433, § 103(1), struck out provision under which the Secretary of Defense could substantially transfer, reassign, consolidate, or abolish functions, powers, or duties vested in the Department of Defense by law if the Secretary reported the details of the proposed transfer, reassignment, consolidation, or abolition to Congress and if Congress did not affirmatively reject the proposal.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 99–433, §§ 103(2), 514(c)(1), inserted “vested by law in the Department of Defense, or an officer, official, or agency thereof” and substituted “5062, 5063” for “5012, 5013”.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–433, § 301(b)(1), struck out subsec. (d) which read as follows: “In subsection (a)(1), ‘major combatant function, power, or duty’ does not include a supply or service activity common to more than one military department. The Secretary of Defense shall, whenever he determines it will be more effective, economical, or efficient, provide for the performance of such an activity by one agency or such other organizations as he considers appropriate.”
1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–525 substituted “section 2 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401)” for “section 401 of title 50”.
1966—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 89–501 required the Secretary of Defense to report to the Congress all the pertinent details regarding any substantial reduction or elimination of a major weapons system before action could be initiated or effected by the Department of Defense.
Miscellaneous
Pub. L. 87–651, title III, § 303,