Nondisclosure of board proceedings

10 U.S.C. § 613a

• Title: 10 — Armed Forces
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER I—SELECTION BOARDS

Text

(a) Prohibition on Disclosure.—The proceedings of a selection board convened under section 573, 611, 628, or 20211 of this title may not be disclosed to any person not a member of the board, except as authorized or required to process the report of the board. This prohibition is a statutory exemption from disclosure, as described in section 552(b)(3) of title 5.
(b) Prohibited Uses of Board Discussions, Deliberations, Notes, and Records.—The discussions and deliberations of a selection board described in subsection (a) and any written or documentary record of such discussions and deliberations—
(1) are immune from legal process;
(2) may not be admitted as evidence; and
(3) may not be used for any purpose in any action, suit, or judicial or administrative proceeding without the consent of the Secretary of the military department concerned.
(c) Applicability.—This section applies to all selection boards convened under section 573, 611, 628, or 20211 of this title, regardless of the date on which the board was convened.

History

(Added Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §547(a)(1), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2215; amended Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §503(a), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4207; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, §1722(b)(1), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 668.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments
2023—Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted "573, 611, 628, or 20211" for "573, 611, or 628".
2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–383, §503(a)(1), added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The proceedings of a selection board convened under section 611 this title may not be disclosed to any person not a member of the board."
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–383, §503(a)(2), substituted "Notes, and Records" for "and Records" in heading.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–383, §503(a)(3), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date
Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, §547(c), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2216, provided that: "Section 613a of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to the proceedings of all selection boards convened under section 611 of that title, including selection boards convened before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 2006]. Section 14104 of such title, as amended by subsection (b), shall apply with respect to the proceedings of all selection boards convened under section 14101 of that title, including selection boards convened before the date of the enactment of this Act."