### §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.

(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, title XVII, §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**

#### Amendments

2015—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.