# § 8016. Assistant Secretaries of the Navy
**(a)** There are four Assistant Secretaries of the Navy. They shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
**(b)**
**(1)** The Assistant Secretaries shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of the Navy may prescribe.
**(2)** One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He shall have as his principal duty the overall supervision of manpower and reserve component affairs of the Department of the Navy.
**(3)**
**(A)** One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management.
**(B)** The Assistant Secretary shall be appointed from among persons who have significant budget, financial management, or audit experience in complex organizations.
**(C)** The principal responsibility of the Assistant Secretary shall be the exercise of the comptroller functions of the Department of the Navy, including financial management functions. The Assistant Secretary shall be responsible for all financial management activities and operations of the Department of the Navy and shall advise the Secretary of the Navy on financial management.
**(4)**
**(A)** One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition. The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary shall be the overall supervision of research, development, acquisition, and sustainment (including maintenance) matters of the Department of the Navy.
**(B)** The Assistant Secretary shall have a Principal Military Deputy, who shall be an officer of the Navy or the Marine Corps on active duty. The Principal Military Deputy shall be appointed from among officers who have significant experience in the areas of acquisition and program management. The position of Principal Military Deputy shall be designated as a critical acquisition position under section 1731 of this title. In the event of a vacancy in the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, the Principal Military Deputy may serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for a period of not more than one year.
**(5)**
**(A)** One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment.
**(B)** The principal duty of the Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations, and Environment shall be the overall supervision of energy, installation, and environment matters for the Department of the Navy.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 511(c)(4), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1047, § 5016; amended Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title VII, § 702(b)[(1)], Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1994; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title IX, § 908(b), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 278; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, § 502(t), title VIII, § 802(b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2104, 2249; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title IX, § 921(b), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1524; renumbered § 8016 and amended Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(1), title IX, § 915, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834, 1924; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VIII, § 861(j)(15), title IX, § 911(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1520, 1559.)
## Editorial Notes
### Prior Provisions
Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in prior to enactment of .
A prior section 8016 was renumbered .
### Amendments
2019—Subsec. (b)(4)(B). , substituted “under ” for “under ”.
Subsec. (b)(5). , added par. (5).
2018—, renumbered as this section.
Subsec. (b)(4)(A). , substituted “acquisition, and sustainment (including maintenance) matters” for “and acquisition matters”.
2017—Subsec. (b)(3). designated first sentence as subpar. (A), designated second and third sentences as subpar. (C) and, in subpar. (C), substituted “The principal responsibility of the Assistant Secretary shall be” for “The Assistant Secretary shall have as his principal responsibility”, and added subpar. (B).
2016—Subsec. (b)(4)(B). , inserted at end “In the event of a vacancy in the position of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, the Principal Military Deputy may serve as Acting Assistant Secretary for a period of not more than one year.”
, substituted “an officer of the Navy or the Marine Corps” for “a vice admiral of the Navy or a lieutenant general of the Marine Corps”.
2008—Subsec. (b)(4). added par. (4).
1988—Subsec. (b)(3). added par. (3).
## 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 .
### Effective Date of 2017 Amendment
For applicability of appointment qualifications imposed by to certain appointments made on or after , see , set out as a note under .
### Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .