,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hiib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #af1       
#bjbj,miss ,rice of ,new ,york          
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb to    
provide for certain succession reforms1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,succession
 reforms ,subsection 7g7 of section #ajc
 of the ,homeland ,security ,act of     
#bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #aac7 is amended--  
7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking     
neither the ,secretary nor ,deputy      
,secretary is and inserting the         
,secretary1 ,deputy ,secretary1 and     
,associate ,secretary are not2 and  7#b7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking         
designate such other officers of the    
,department in further order of         
succession to serve as ,acting          
,secretary4 and inserting designate--   
7,a7 such other official of the         
,department in further order of         

succession to serve as ,acting          
,secretary in a manner that requires    
such official to have served in the     
,department for at least #ij days prior 
to such designation in either the       
position of the head of a component or  
in another position by and with the     
advice and consent of the ,senate1 or in
 the event that an official satisfying  
such criteria is not available1 in a    
manner that requires such official to   
have served for at least #ij days prior 
to such designation in the ,senior      
,executive ,service in the ,department2 
and  7,b7 such other official of the    
,department to serve as the acting head 
of a component in the event the head of 
a component vacates the position1 in a  
manner that requires such official to   
have served for at least #ij days prior 
to such designation in the ,senior      
,executive ,service4  4