CERTIFICATIONS OF SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE FOR RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS IN GRADES ABOVE MAJOR GENERAL AND REAR ADMIRAL.

SEC. 502. CERTIFICATIONS OF SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE FOR RETIREMENT OF OFFICERS IN GRADES ABOVE MAJOR GENERAL AND REAR ADMIRAL. Section 1370(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(3)(A) The Secretary of Defense may delegate authority to make a certification with respect to an officer under paragraph (1) only to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness or the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. “(B) If authority is delegated under subparagraph (A) and, in the course of consideration of an officer for a certification under paragraph (1), the Under Secretary or (if such authority is delegated to both the Under and Deputy Under Secretary) the Deputy Under Secretary makes a determination described in subparagraph (C) with respect to that officer, the Under Secretary or Deputy Under Secretary, as the case may be, may not exercise the delegated authority in that case, but shall refer the matter to the Secretary of Defense, who shall personally determine whether to issue a certification under paragraph (1) with respect to that officer. “(C) A determination referred to in subparagraph (B) is a determination that there is potentially adverse information concerning an officer and that such information has not previously been submitted to the Senate in connection with the consideration by the Senate of a nomination of that officer for an appointment for which the advice and consent of the Senate is required.”.