§120. Department of Defense executive aircraft controlled by Secretaries of military departments

(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.

(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 .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (d), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 116–92, which was approved Dec. 20, 2019.

Amendments

2025-Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 119–60 added pars. (2) and (3), redesignated former par. (3) as (4), and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: "The Secretary of Defense shall be responsible for prioritizing travel when requests exceed available executive airlift capability."

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Timelines

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title I, §161(b)(2), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 768 , provided that: "The Secretary of Defense shall-

"(A) establish the standards required by paragraph (2) of such section 120(b) (as amended by this section) not later than December 1, 2025; and

"(B) assign the career appointee required by paragraph (3) of such section 120(b) (as amended by this section) not later than January 1, 2026."