AUTHORITY FOR OFFICERS TO OPT OUT OF PROMOTION BOARD CONSIDERATION.

SEC. 8202. AUTHORITY FOR OFFICERS TO OPT OUT OF PROMOTION BOARD CONSIDERATION. (a) Eligibility of Officers for Consideration for Promotion.—Section 2113 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(g)(1) Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Commandant may provide that an officer may, upon the officer’s request and with the approval of the Commandant, be excluded from consideration by a selection board convened under section 2106. “(2) The Commandant shall approve a request under paragraph (1) only if— “(A) the basis for the request is to allow the officer to complete a broadening assignment, advanced education, another assignment of significant value to the Coast Guard, a career progression requirement delayed by the assignment or education, or a qualifying personal or professional circumstance, as determined by the Commandant; “(B) the Commandant determines the exclusion from consideration is in the best interest of the Coast Guard; and “(C) the officer has not previously failed of selection for promotion to the grade for which the officer requests the exclusion from consideration.” . (b) Eligibility of Reserve Officer for Promotion.—Section 3743 of title 14, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “SEC. 3743. Eligibility for promotion “(a) In General.—Except as provided in subsection (b), a Reserve officer is eligible for consideration for promotion and for promotion under this subchapter if that officer is in an active status. “(b) Exception.—A Reserve officer who has been considered but not recommended for retention in an active status by a board convened under subsection 3752(a) of this title is not eligible for consideration for promotion. “(c) Request for Exclusion.— “(1) In general.—The Commandant may provide that an officer may, upon the officer’s request and with the approval of the Commandant, be excluded from consideration by a selection board convened under section 3740(b) of this title to consider officers for promotion to the next higher grade. “(2) Approval of request.—The Commandant shall approve a request under paragraph (1) only if— “(A) the basis for the request is to allow an officer to complete a broadening assignment, advanced education, another assignment of significant value to the Coast Guard, a career progression requirement delayed by the assignment or education, or a qualifying personal or professional circumstance, as determined by the Commandant; “(B) the Commandant determines the exclusion from consideration is in the best interest of the Coast Guard; and “(C) the officer has not previously failed of selection for promotion to the grade for which the officer requests the exclusion from consideration.” .