‘‘(C)
the
term
‘National
Security
Council’ 
means the council established under section 101 of 
the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3021).’’. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing Chain of Com-
mand Continuity Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEDICAL INCA-
PACITY NOTIFICATION ENHANCEMENT. 
Section 3349 of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c)(1) Not later than 24 hours after the head of an 
Executive agency who is a member of the National Security 
Council becomes medically incapacitated or 24 hours in ad-
vance of such head undergoing a planned medical procedure 
for which medical incapacity is known or may be reason-
ably assumed, the first assistant to the office of such head 
shall submit to the appropriate Federal officials— 
‘‘(A) a notification that such head is or will be 
medically incapacitated; and 
‘‘(B) the name of the individual who will serve 
in an acting capacity or otherwise perform the func-
tions and duties of the office of such head during the 
medical incapacitation of the head. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) If the notification required under paragraph (1) 
with respect to the head of an Executive agency who is a 
member of the National Security Council is not submitted 
in accordance with the requirements under paragraph (1), 
not later than 72 hours after such head becomes subject to 
a medical incapacity, the first assistant to the office of such 
head shall submit to the appropriate Federal officials a re-
port including— 
‘‘(A) the name of each individual who served or 
is serving in an acting capacity as such head or oth-
erwise performed or is performing the functions and 
duties of the office of such head pursuant to such med-
ical incapacity and, for each such individual— 
‘‘(i) the dates of such service or, if such head 
has not resumed performing the functions and 
duties of the office of such head, the expected 
dates of service; 
‘‘(ii) the authority for the individual to 
serve in such acting capacity or otherwise per-
form the functions and duties of the office of such 
head; and 
‘‘(iii) a comprehensive list of resources and 
authorities allocated to such individual while 
serving in such acting capacity or otherwise per-
forming the functions and duties of the office of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
such head to ensure that such individual could 
perform the functions and duties of the office of 
such head; 
‘‘(B) the dates of such head’s medical incapacita-
tion, and if such head has resumed performing the 
functions and duties of the office, the date such head 
so resumed performing such functions and duties; and 
‘‘(C) an explanation of why such head was medi-
cally incapacitated. 
‘‘(3) In the event the head of an Executive agency who 
is a member of the National Security Council remains 
medically incapacitated on the date the report is submitted 
under paragraph (2), the first assistant to the office of such 
head shall submit periodic updates, as the first assistant 
considers appropriate, to such report to the appropriate 
Federal officials. 
‘‘(4) If the head of an Executive agency who is a mem-
ber of the National Security Council and is medically inca-
pacitated does not have a first assistant, the individual per-
forming the functions and duties of the first assistant shall 
perform the reporting obligations of the first assistant under 
this subsection. 
‘‘(5) In this subsection— 
‘‘(A) the term ‘appropriate Federal officials’ 
means the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Minor-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
ity Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of 
Representatives, and each required recipient of a re-
port under subsection (b); 
‘‘(B) the terms ‘medical incapacity’ and ‘medi-
cally incapacitated’ mean, with respect to the head of 
an Executive agency, that such head is unable to per-
form the functions and duties of the office of such 
head due to sickness, injury, or other medical condi-
tion; and 
‘‘(C) the term ‘National Security Council’ means 
the council established under section 101 of the Na-
tional Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021).’’. 
SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated 
for the purpose of carrying out this Act or the amendment 
made by this Act. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Calendar No. 711 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6972 
[Report No. 118–305] 
AN ACT 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to require an 
Executive agency whose head is a member of the 
National Security Council to notify the Executive 
Office of the President, the Comptroller General 
of the United States, and congressional leader-
ship of such head becoming medically incapaci-
tated within 24 hours, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 17 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024 
Reported with an amendment 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
07:18 Dec 18, 2024
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H6972.RS
H6972
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB