II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1380 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize officers to opt out 

of promotion board consideration for promotion. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 20, 2017 

Mr. ROUNDS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize officers 

to opt out of promotion board consideration for promotion. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promotion Board Opt5 Out Opportunity Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY FOR OFFICERS TO OPT-OUT OF PRO7 MOTION BOARD CONSIDERATION. 

8 (a) ACTIVE-DUTY LIST OFFICERS.—Section 619 of 

9 title 10, United States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the 

2 following new paragraph: 

3 ‘‘(6) An officer excluded under subsection (e).’’; 

4 and 

5 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub6 section: 

7 ‘‘(e) AUTHORITY TO PERMIT OFFICERS TO OPT OUT

8 OF SELECTION BOARD CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary 

9 of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military de10 partment to provide that an officer under the jurisdiction 

11 of that Secretary may, upon the officer’s request and with 

12 the approval of the Secretary concerned, be excluded from 

13 consideration by a selection board convened under section 

14 611(a) of this title to consider officers for promotion to 

15 the next higher grade. The Secretary concerned may only 

16 approve such a request if— 

17 ‘‘(1) the basis for the request is to allow an of18 ficer to complete a broadening assignment, advanced 

19 education, another assignment of significant value to 

20 the Department of Defense, or a career progression 

21 requirement delayed by the assignment of education; 

22 ‘‘(2) the Secretary concerned determines the ex23 clusion from consideration is in the best interest of 

24 the military department concerned; and 


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1 ‘‘(3) the officer has not previously failed of se2 lection for promotion to the grade for which the offi3 cer requests the exclusion from consideration.’’. 

4 (b) RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS LIST OFFICERS.—Sec5 tion 14301 of such title is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (c)— 

7 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

8 ‘‘PREVIOUSLY SELECTED OFFICERS NOT ELI9 GIBLE’’ and inserting ‘‘CERTAIN OFFICERS

10 NOT’’; and 

11 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

12 paragraph: 

13 ‘‘(6) An officer excluded under subsection (j).’’; 

14 and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub16 section: 

17 ‘‘(j) AUTHORITY TO PERMIT OFFICERS TO OPT OUT

18 OF SELECTION BOARD CONSIDERATION.—The Secretary 

19 of Defense may authorize the Secretary of a military de20 partment to provide that an officer under the jurisdiction 

21 of that Secretary may, upon the officer’s request and with 

22 the approval of the Secretary concerned, be excluded from 

23 consideration by a selection board convened under section 

24 14101(a) of this title to consider officers for promotion 


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1 to the next higher grade. The Secretary concerned may 

2 only approve such a request if— 

3 ‘‘(1) the basis for the request is to allow an of4 ficer to complete a broadening assignment, advanced 

5 education, another assignment of significant value to 

6 the Department of Defense, or a career progression 

7 requirement delayed by the assignment or education; 

8 ‘‘(2) the Secretary concerned determines the ex9 clusion from consideration is in the best interest of 

10 the military department concerned; and 

11 ‘‘(3) the officer has not previously failed of se12 lection for promotion to the grade for which the offi13 cer requests the exclusion from consideration.’’. 

Æ 


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