I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3455 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to include the Chief of the National 

Guard Bureau as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and to reestablish the position of Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2011 

Mr. PALAZZO (for himself, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. THOMPSON of 

Mississippi, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 

NUNNELEE, and Mr. HARPER) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to include the Chief 

of the National Guard Bureau as a member of the Joint 

Chiefs of Staff and to reestablish the position of Vice 

Chief of the National Guard Bureau. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CHIEF OF THE NA2 TIONAL GUARD BUREAU ON THE JOINT 

3 CHIEFS OF STAFF. 

4 (a) MEMBERSHIP ON JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.— 

5 Section 151(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 

6 by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

7 ‘‘(7) The Chief of the National Guard Bu8 reau.’’. 

9 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 10502 of 

10 such title, as amended by section 2(b)(1) of this Act, is 

11 further amended— 

12 (1) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub13 section (e); and 

14 (2) by inserting after subsection (c) the fol15 lowing new subsection (d): 

16 ‘‘(d) MEMBER OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF.—The 

17 Chief of the National Guard Bureau shall perform the du18 ties prescribed for him or her as a member of the Joint 

19 Chiefs of Staff under section 151 of this title.’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION OF VICE CHIEF 

2 OF THE NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU AND TER3 MINATION OF POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF 

4 THE JOINT STAFF OF THE NATIONAL GUARD 

5 BUREAU. 

6 (a) REESTABLISHMENT AND TERMINATION OF POSI7 TIONS.—Section 10505 of title 10, United States Code, 

8 is amended to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘§ 10505. Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau 

10 ‘‘(a) APPOINTMENT.—(1) There is a Vice Chief of the 

11 National Guard Bureau, selected by the Secretary of De12 fense from officers of the Army National Guard of the 

13 United States or the Air National Guard of the United 

14 States who— 

15 ‘‘(A) are recommended for such appointment by 

16 their respective Governors or, in the case of the Dis17 trict of Columbia, the commanding general of the 

18 District of Columbia National Guard; 

19 ‘‘(B) have had at least 10 years of federally rec20 ognized service in an active status in the National 

21 Guard; and 

22 ‘‘(C) are in a grade above the grade of brigadier 

23 general. 

24 ‘‘(2) The Chief and Vice Chief of the National Guard 

25 Bureau may not both be members of the Army or of the 

26 Air Force. 


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1 ‘‘(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an 

2 officer appointed as Vice Chief of the National Guard Bu3 reau serves for a term of four years, but may be removed 

4 from office at any time for cause. 

5 ‘‘(B) The term of the Vice Chief of the National 

6 Guard Bureau shall end within a reasonable time (as de7 termined by the Secretary of Defense) following the ap8 pointment of a Chief of the National Guard Bureau who 

9 is a member of the same armed force as the Vice Chief. 

10 ‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Vice Chief of the National Guard 

11 Bureau performs such duties as may be prescribed by the 

12 Chief of the National Guard Bureau. 

13 ‘‘(c) GRADE.—The Vice Chief of the National Guard 

14 Bureau shall be appointed to serve in the grade of lieuten15 ant general. 

16 ‘‘(d) FUNCTIONS AS ACTING CHIEF.—When there is 

17 a vacancy in the office of the Chief of the National Guard 

18 Bureau or in the absence or disability of the Chief, the 

19 Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau acts as Chief 

20 and performs the duties of the Chief until a successor is 

21 appointed or the absence of disability ceases.’’. 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

23 (1) Section 10502 of such title is amended by 

24 striking subsection (e). 


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1 (2) Section 10506(a)(1) of such title is amend2 ed by striking ‘‘and the Director of the Joint Staff 

3 of the National Guard Bureau’’ and inserting ‘‘and 

4 the Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau’’. 

5 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 

6 (1) HEADING AMENDMENT.—The heading of 

7 section 10502 of such title is amended to read as 

8 follows: 

9 ‘‘§ 10502. Chief of the National Guard Bureau: ap10 pointment; advisor on National Guard 

11 matters; grade’’. 

12 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 

13 at the beginning of chapter 1011 of such title is 

14 amended— 

15 (A) by striking the item relating to section 

16 10502 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘10502. Chief of the National Guard Bureau: appointment; advisor on National 

Guard matters; grade.’’; 

17 and 

18 (B) by striking the item relating to section 

19 10505 and inserting the following new item: 

‘‘10505. Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau.’’. 

Æ 


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