# 117-hr-335: To provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.

117-hr-335, To provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces., is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA); status became_law (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-335
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-hr-335
- Congress: 117
- Title: To provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2021-01-15
- Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**One-time exception** to the seven-year post-service limit for appointing a Secretary of Defense. This law creates a single waiver that lets the first person appointed as Secretary of Defense on or after January 20, 2021 be someone who, at the time of appointment, is within seven years but not within four years after relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces, and the exception applies only to that one appointment.

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-01-21T16:24:00.000Z | senate | On Passage of the Bill H.R. 335 | Bill Passed | 69 | 27 |
| 2021-01-21T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Passage | Passed | 326 | 78 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- One-time exception for Defense Secretary: benefit, low. The law makes a one-time exception to the usual seven-year waiting rule for the Secretary of Defense. The first person nominated after 12:00 p.m. Eastern on January 20, 2021, in an appointment made on or after that date, may be a former regular commissioned officer who left active duty more than 4…

## Related bills

- 117-hr-4693: Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021
- 117-hr-1667: Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act
- 117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act
- 117-hr-3525: Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act
- 117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act
- 117-hr-1799: PPP Extension Act of 2021

## Sources
- [117-hr-335 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/335)

## Related
- [117-hr-4693: Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-4693)
- [117-hr-1667: Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1667)
- [117-hr-3537: Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3537)
- [117-hr-3525: Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacifi…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-3525)
- [117-hr-263: Big Cat Public Safety Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-263)
- [117-hr-1799: PPP Extension Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-1799)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-hr-335 (as of 2026-01-05).