10 U.S.C. § 8225 — Female members: congressional review period for assignment to duty on submarines or for reconfiguration of submarines

(a) The Department of the Navy cannot let any change take effect to its policy (as it stood on May 10, 2000) limiting submarine service to men only, until two things happen: (1) the Secretary of Defense sends Congress written notice of the proposed change; and (2) 30 days of continuous congressional session pass after Congress receives that notice, not counting any day when either the House or Senate is not in session.

(b) The Department of the Navy cannot spend any of its money to reconfigure an existing submarine, or to design a new one, so that it can hold female crew members, until the same two steps happen: (1) the Secretary of Defense sends Congress written notice of the proposed reconfiguration or design; and (2) the same 30-day continuous session period passes.

(c) For this section, a session of Congress only counts as broken (no longer continuous) when Congress adjourns "sine die" — meaning it ends its session completely, without setting a date to reconvene.