10 USC § 8017 - Secretary of the Navy: successors to duties

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s8017"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 8017 - Secretary of the Navy: successors to duties"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "8017"
section_name: "Secretary of the Navy: successors to duties"
chapter_number: 803
chapter_name: "DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY"
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: "(Added Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 511(c)(4), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1047, § 5017; amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 902(b), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2823; renumbered § 8017, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(1), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)"
---


# 1 Secretary of the Navy: successors to duties

See References in Text note below.

If the Secretary of the Navy 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 Navy.

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

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

**(4)** The Chief of Naval Operations.

**(5)** The Commandant of the Marine Corps.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 99–433, title V, § 511(c)(4), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 1047, § 5017; amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title IX, § 902(b), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2823; renumbered § 8017, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(a)(1), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1834.)

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, referred to in text, was repealed and a new section 3347 was enacted by , , , and, as so enacted, no longer contains provisions authorizing the President to direct temporary successors to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

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in  prior to enactment of .

A prior section 8017 was renumbered .

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

1994—Pars. (3) to (5).  added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) and (4) as (4) and (5), respectively.

## 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 .

### Order of Succession

For order of succession in event of death, permanent disability, or resignation of Secretary of the Navy, see Ex. Ord. No. 12879, , 58 F.R. 59929, listed in a table under , Government Organization and Employees.