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Securing Chain of Command Continuity Act
1/14/2025, 7:03 PM
Summary of Bill HR 6972
The bill outlines specific procedures and protocols that must be followed in the event of a vacancy in a key military leadership position, such as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or a Combatant Commander. These procedures are designed to ensure that there is no gap in leadership and that the chain of command remains secure and effective.
Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a comprehensive plan for succession in the event of a sudden vacancy in a high-ranking military position. This plan must be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it remains current and effective. Overall, the Securing Chain of Command Continuity Act aims to strengthen the stability and effectiveness of the military chain of command by establishing clear procedures for succession in the event of a sudden vacancy in a key leadership position.
Congressional Summary of HR 6972
Securing Chain of Command Continuity Act
This bill requires certain notifications whenever a head of an executive branch agency who is a member of the National Security Council (for example, the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense) becomes medically incapacitated.
In the event that such an agency head becomes medically incapacitated, the person serving in an acting capacity as the agency head (or, if no person is acting, the first assistant to the office of the agency head) must notify within 24 hours the Executive Office of the President, the Comptroller General, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate, and the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
In the event that such notifications are not made, the bill requires a report containing certain information related to the medical incapacitation, the individual who served in an acting capacity, and an explanation of why the required notifications were not made.
