10 U.S.C. § 120 — Department of Defense executive aircraft controlled by Secretaries of military departments

submitted 7 years ago by Pub. L. 116-92 to r/title-10-ARMED-FORCES · 430 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

The Secretary of Defense must put the Air Force in charge of scheduling all military department executive aircraft. Each military department must sign an agreement on overseeing its own aircraft. A senior official will coordinate aircraft use and make sure the rules are followed.

(a) In General. The Secretary of Defense must make sure the Chief of the Air Force Special Air Mission Office is responsible for coordinating the scheduling of all Department of Defense executive aircraft — including planes controlled separately by each military department's Secretary — so that "required use travelers" get the support they need. (b) Responsibilities. (1) Within 180 days after this section became law, each military department's Secretary had to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Air Force Special Air Mission Office covering how that department's executive aircraft would be overseen and managed. (2) The Secretary of Defense must set standards for deciding which authorized users in the federal government get priority access to these aircraft. (3) The Secretary of Defense must assign a career Senior Executive Service employee to coordinate efficient scheduling of executive aircraft and to make sure everyone follows the applicable rules, regulations, policies, and guidance — including the priority standards from paragraph (2). This person must have knowledge and experience with executive aircraft, as the Secretary of Defense decides, including familiarity with each department's aircraft fleet and how users are prioritized. (4) Each military department's Secretary keeps overall authority to schedule that department's own required use travelers on the aircraft it controls. But when that aircraft isn't being used for the department's own required use travelers, the department must make it available for scheduling other required use travelers. (c) Limitations. (1) The Secretary of Defense cannot create a brand-new command-and-control organization to support these aircraft. (2) An executive aircraft controlled by a military department cannot be permanently based anywhere without a required use traveler there, unless the Secretary of Defense approves it. (d) Definitions. (1) "Required use traveler" means whatever Department of Defense Directive 4500.56 said it meant on the date this section became law. (2) "Executive aircraft" means whatever Department of Defense Directive 4500.43 said it meant on that same date.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a)In General.—

The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Chief of the Air Force Special Air Mission Office is given the responsibility for coordination of scheduling all Department of Defense executive aircraft controlled by the Secretaries of the military departments in order to support required use travelers.

(b)Responsibilities.—

(1)

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of each of the military departments shall execute a memorandum of understanding with the Air Force Special Air Mission Office regarding oversight and management of executive aircraft controlled by that military department.

(2)

The Secretary of Defense shall establish standards for prioritizing access to executive aircraft controlled by the Secretaries of the military departments among authorized users of such aircraft within the Federal Government.

(3)

The Secretary of Defense shall assign a career appointee (as that term is defined in section 3132(a) of title 5) in the Senior Executive Service of the Department of Defense to coordinate the efficient tasking of executive aircraft controlled by the Secretaries of the military departments and compliance with rules, regulations, policies, and guidance relating to such aircraft, including the standards established under paragraph (2). The career appointee shall, as determined by the Secretary of Defense, have knowledge and experience relating to executive aircraft, including familiarity with the executive aircraft fleets controlled by the Secretaries of the military departments and procedures for the prioritization of executive aircraft users.

(4)

The Secretary of a military department shall maintain overall authority for scheduling the required use travelers of that military department on executive aircraft controlled by the Secretary. When an executive aircraft controlled by the Secretary of a military department is not supporting required use travelers of that military department, the Secretary of the military department shall make such executive aircraft available for scheduling of other required use travelers.

(c)Limitations.—

(1)

The Secretary of Defense may not establish a new command and control organization to support aircraft.

(2)

No executive aircraft controlled by the Secretary of a military department may be permanently stationed at any location without a required use traveler without the approval of the Secretary of Defense.

(d)Definitions.—

In this section:

(1)

The term “required use traveler” has the meaning given such term in Department of Defense directive 4500.56, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this section.

(2)

The term “executive aircraft” has the meaning given such term in Department of Defense directive 4500.43, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this section.

Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title X, § 1051(a), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1590; amended Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title I, § 161(b)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 767.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2019Enacted · Pub. L. 116-92 · 133 Stat. 1590
2025Amended · Pub. L. 119-60 · 139 Stat. 767

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 116-92 on 2019-12-20.

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