### §716. Commissioned officers: transfers among the armed forces, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President, within authorized strengths and with the consent of the officer involved, may transfer any commissioned officer of a uniformed service from his uniformed service to, and appoint him in, another uniformed service. The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall jointly establish, by regulations approved by the President, policies and procedures for such transfers and appointments.

(b) An officer transferred under this section may not be assigned precedence or relative rank higher than that which he held on the day before the transfer.

(Added Pub. L. 85–599, §11(2), Aug. 6, 1958, 72 Stat. 521; amended Pub. L. 91–392, §1, Sept. 1, 1970, 84 Stat. 834; Pub. L. 96–215, §2(a), Mar. 25, 1980, 94 Stat. 123; Pub. L. 97–295, §1(10), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1289; Pub. L. 98–94, title X, §1007(a)(1), Sept. 24, 1983, 97 Stat. 661; Pub. L. 99–348, title III, §304(a)(1), July 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 703; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, §1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Codification

Another section 716 was renumbered section 717 of this title.

#### Amendments

2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted "of Homeland Security" for "of Transportation".

1986—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 99–348 struck out subsec. (c) which defined "uniformed service" for purposes of this section. See section 101(43) of this title.

1983—Pub. L. 98–94 amended section generally, substituting "transfers among the armed forces, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service" for "transfers between armed forces and to and from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" in section catchline and adding subsec. (c). Prior to amendment subsecs. (a) and (b) read as follows:

"(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the President may, within authorized strengths, transfer any commissioned officer with his consent from his armed force or from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to, and appoint him in, another armed force or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, and the Secretary of Commerce shall jointly establish, by regulations approved by the President, policies and procedures for such transfers and appointments.

"(b) An officer transferred under this section—

"(1) may not be assigned precedence or relative rank higher than that which he held on the day before his transfer; and

"(2) shall be credited for retirement and pay purposes with the same years of service with which he has been credited on the day before his transfer."

1982—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–295 struck out the comma after "policies".

1980—Pub. L. 96–215 inserted "and to and from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration" in section catchline, divided existing unlettered provisions into subsecs. (a) and (b)(1), inserted references to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and to Secretary of Commerce in subsec. (a) as so redesignated, and added subsec. (b)(2).

1970—Pub. L. 91–392 substituted "armed forces" for "Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps" in section catchline and "his armed force", "another armed force", "An officer transferred under this section may not be assigned", and "before his transfer" for "the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps", "any other of those armed forces", "No officer transferred pursuant to this authority shall be assigned", and "prior to such transfer" in text, respectively, and authorized interservice transfers of officers of the Coast Guard.

#### **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.

#### **Executive Documents**

#### Delegation of Functions

Functions of President under subsec. (a) of this section delegated to Secretary of Commerce by section 1(m) of Ex. Ord. No. 11023, May 28, 1962, 27 F.R. 5131, as amended, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 3, The President.