10 USC § 7017 - Secretary of the Army: successors to duties

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s7017"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 7017 - Secretary of the Army: successors to duties"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "7017"
section_name: "Secretary of the Army: successors to duties"
chapter_number: 703
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "ORGANIZATION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 159, § 3017; Pub. L. 89–718, § 23, Nov. 2, 1966, 80 Stat. 1118; Pub. L. 90–235, § 4(a)(7), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 759; Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 501(a)(6), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1038; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 902(a), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2823; renumbered § 7017, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 808(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838.)"
---


# 1 Secretary of the Army: successors to duties

See References in Text note below.

If the Secretary of the Army dies, resigns, is removed from office, is absent, or is disabled, the person who is highest on the following list, and who is not absent or disabled, shall perform the duties of the Secretary until the President, under section 3347 [^1] of title 5, directs another person to perform those duties or until the absence or disability ceases:

**(1)** The Under Secretary of the Army.

**(2)** The Assistant Secretaries of the Army, in the order prescribed by the Secretary of the Army and approved by the Secretary of Defense.

**(3)** The General Counsel of the Department of the Army.

**(4)** The Chief of Staff.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 159, § 3017; Pub. L. 89–718, § 23, Nov. 2, 1966, 80 Stat. 1118; Pub. L. 90–235, § 4(a)(7), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 759; Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 501(a)(6), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1038; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 902(a), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2823; renumbered § 7017, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 808(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1838.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3017(a)3017(b) | 5:181–5(b).5:181–5(c). | June 28, 1950, ch. 383, § 102 (less (a)), 64 Stat. 265. |

In subsection (a), the word “person” is substituted for the words “officer of the United States”. The words “until a successor is appointed” are omitted as surplusage.

Subsection (b) is substituted for 5:181–5(c) and states the effect of .

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

, referred to in text, was repealed and a new section 3347 was enacted by , , , and, as so enacted, no longer contains provisions authorizing the President to direct temporary successors to duties. See , Government Organization and Employees.

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

1994—Pars. (3), (4).  added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (3) as (4).

1986— struck out subsec. (a) designation, substituted “, in the order prescribed by the Secretary of the Army and approved by the Secretary of Defense” for “in order of their length of service as such” in par. (2), and struck out subsec. (b) which read as follows: “Performance of the duties of the Secretary by the Chief of Staff or any officer of the Army designated under  shall not be considered as the holding of a civil office within the meaning of .”

1968—Subsec. (b).  substituted “” for “”.

1966— substituted “” for “” wherever appearing.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .

## Executive Documents

### Order of Succession

For order of succession in event of death, permanent disability, or resignation of Secretary of the Army, see Ex. Ord. No. 12908, , 59 F.R. 21907, listed in a table under , Government Organization and Employees.