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HR 5627119th CongressIn Committee
GENERAL Act
Introduced: Sep 30, 2025
Defense & National Security
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The GENERAL Act would add a new requirement to Title 10 of the U.S. Code: when a general or flag officer (the military’s highest-ranking officers) is involuntarily reassigned, separated, or retired, the Secretary of Defense must notify the congressional defense committees within 15 days. The notification must include the rationale for the action (including whether it related to conduct, performance, policy disagreements, or other factors) and a summary of the decision-making process, including any consultations with the relevant military department secretary. The goal is to increase accountability and transparency around leadership changes at the top levels of the armed forces.
Key Points
- 1Creates a new reporting requirement (Sec. 1568) to the congressional defense committees.
- 2Trigger: involuntary reassignment, separation, or retirement of general or flag officers (O-7 and above).
- 3Timeline: notification due within 15 days of the action.
- 4Contents of notice: (1) rationale for the action (including factors such as conduct, performance, policy disagreements, etc.); (2) a summary of the decision-making process, including consultations with the appropriate Secretary of the relevant military department.
- 5Short title: “Government Evaluation, Notification, and Explanation of Reassignments and Accountability with Leadership Act” or the “GENERAL Act.”
Impact Areas
Primary group/area affected: Members of Congress, specifically the congressional defense committees (House and Senate), which would receive the notifications; senior military leadership (general and flag officers) and the Defense Department’s leadership processes.Secondary group/area affected: The Department of Defense and the military services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps) due to required documentation of decisions and consultations; potential effects on internal decision-making and leadership transitions.Additional impacts:- Increased transparency and oversight of top-level personnel changes, potentially influencing how involuntary leadership actions are planned and communicated.- Possible considerations around sensitive or classified information in the rationale or process summaries, depending on what is disclosed.- Administrative and reporting costs to implement new notification and record-keeping requirements.
Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 8, 2025