Us Code § 205 - Appointment and tenure of office of Surgeon General; reversion in rank
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 205 — Appointment and tenure of office of Surgeon General; reversion in rank, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 205. Appointment and tenure of office of Surgeon General; reversion in rank
The Surgeon General shall be appointed from the Regular Corps for a four-year term by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Surgeon General shall be appointed from individuals who (1) are members of the Regular Corps, and (2) have specialized training or significant experience in public health programs. Upon the expiration of such term the Surgeon General, unless reappointed, shall revert to the grade and number in the Regular Corps or Ready Reserve Corps that he would have occupied had he not served as Surgeon General.
(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, §204, 58 Stat. 684; Pub. L. 97–25, title III, §303(a), July 27, 1981, 95 Stat. 145; Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, §2765(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 932; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, §3214(e)(1), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 373.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2020—Pub. L. 116–136 substituted "Regular Corps or Ready Reserve Corps" for "Regular or Reserve Corps".
1981—Pub. L. 97–35 inserted reference to Reserve Corps and substituted provisions relating to appointment of an individual from the Regular Corps and with specialized training and significant experience, for provisions relating to appointment of an individual sixty-four years of age or older.
Pub. L. 97–25 inserted provision that the President may appoint to office of Surgeon General an individual who is sixty-four years of age or older.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
"Secretary of Health and Human Services" substituted for "Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare" pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.
Executive Documents
Transfer of Functions
Office of Surgeon General abolished by section 3 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. June 25, 1966, 31 F.R. 8855, 80 Stat. 1610, and functions thereof transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 1 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, set out as a note under section 202 of this title. Office of Surgeon General reestablished within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, see Notice of Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Mar. 30, 1987, 52 F.R. 11754.
About This Section
42 U.S.C. § 205 is part of Title 42 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 42 U.S.C. § 205. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.