§613a — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

§613a Nondisclosure of board proceedings

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 36— - PROMOTION, SEPARATION, AND INVOLUNTARY RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS ON THE ACTIVE-DUTY LIST › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - SELECTION BOARDS › § 613a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Meetings and records of selection boards under sections 573, 611, 628, or 20211 must not be shared with anyone who is not a board member, except when needed to handle the board’s report. They are exempt from public disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3). Board discussions and records cannot be used or forced into any court or administrative case without the consent of the Secretary of the military department involved. This rule applies to all such boards, whenever they were convened.

Title 10, §613a

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The proceedings of a selection board convened under section 573, 611, 628, or 20211 of this title may not be disclosed to any person not a member of the board, except as authorized or required to process the report of the board. This prohibition is a statutory exemption from disclosure, as described in section 552(b)(3) of title 5.

(b)The discussions and deliberations of a selection board described in subsection (a) and any written or documentary record of such discussions and deliberations—

(1)are immune from legal process;

(2)may not be admitted as evidence; and

(3)may not be used for any purpose in any action, suit, or judicial or administrative proceeding without the consent of the Secretary of the military department concerned.

(c)This section applies to all selection boards convened under section 573, 611, 628, or 20211 of this title, regardless of the date on which the board was convened.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2023—Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “573, 611, 628, or 20211” for “573, 611, or 628”. 2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–383, § 503(a)(1), added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The proceedings of a selection board convened under section 611 this title may not be disclosed to any person not a member of the board.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–383, § 503(a)(2), substituted “Notes, and Records” for “and Records” in heading. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–383, § 503(a)(3), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 547(c), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2216, provided that: “Section 613a of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to the proceedings of all selection boards convened under section 611 of that title, including selection boards convened before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 2006]. section 14104 of such title, as amended by subsection (b), shall apply with respect to the proceedings of all selection boards convened under section 14101 of that title, including selection boards convened before the date of the enactment of this Act.”