1. (a) Deputy Secretary; Under Secretaries

   1. (1) In general Except as provided under paragraph (2), there are the following officers, appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate:

      1. (A) A Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, who shall be the Secretary’s first assistant for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 33 of title 5.
      2. (B) An Under Secretary for Science and Technology.
      3. (C) A Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
      4. (D) An Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
      5. (E) A Director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.
      6. (F) An Under Secretary for Management, who shall be first assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 33 of title 5.
      7. (G) A Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
      8. (H) A Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
      9. (I) Not more than 12 Assistant Secretaries.
      10. (J) A General Counsel, who shall be the chief legal officer of the Department.
      11. (K) An Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans.
   2. (2) Assistant Secretaries If any of the Assistant Secretaries referred to under paragraph (1)(I) is designated to be the Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, or the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, that Assistant Secretary shall be appointed by the President without the advice and consent of the Senate.
2. (b) Inspector General There shall be in the Department an Office of Inspector General and an Inspector General at the head of such office, as provided in chapter 4 of title 5.
3. (c) Commandant of the Coast Guard To assist the Secretary in the performance of the Secretary’s functions, there is a Commandant of the Coast Guard, who shall be appointed as provided in section 44 ¹ of title 14 and who shall report directly to the Secretary. In addition to such duties as may be provided in this chapter and as assigned to the Commandant by the Secretary, the duties of the Commandant shall include those required by section 2 ¹ of title 14.

4. (d) Other officers To assist the Secretary in the performance of the Secretary’s functions, there are the following officers, appointed by the President:

   1. (1) A Director of the Secret Service.
   2. (2) A Chief Information Officer.
   3. (3) An Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
   4. (4) An Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
   5. (5) Any Director of a Joint Task Force under section 348 of this title.
5. (e) Chief Financial Officer There shall be in the Department a Chief Financial Officer, as provided in chapter 9 of title 31.
6. (f) Performance of specific functions Subject to the provisions of this chapter, every officer of the Department shall perform the functions specified by law for the official’s office or prescribed by the Secretary.

7. (g) Vacancies

   1. (1) Absence, disability, or vacancy of Secretary or Deputy Secretary Notwithstanding chapter 33 of title 5, the Under Secretary for Management shall serve as the Acting Secretary if by reason of absence, disability, or vacancy in office, neither the Secretary nor Deputy Secretary is available to exercise the duties of the Office of the Secretary.
   2. (2) Further order of succession Notwithstanding chapter 33 of title 5, the Secretary may designate such other officers of the Department in further order of succession to serve as Acting Secretary.
   3. (3) Notification of vacancies The Secretary shall notify the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives of any vacancies that require notification under sections 3345 through 3349d of title 5 (commonly known as the “Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998”).

(Pub. L. 107–296, title I, § 103, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2144; Pub. L. 108–7, div. L, § 104(a), Feb. 20, 2003, 117 Stat. 529; Pub. L. 108–330, § 3(d)(1)(A), Oct. 16, 2004, 118 Stat. 1276; Pub. L. 108–458, title VII, § 7407(b), Dec. 17, 2004, 118 Stat. 3853; Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 612(b), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1410; Pub. L. 109–347, title V, § 501(b)(1), Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1935; Pub. L. 110–53, title V, § 531(b)(2), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 334; Pub. L. 110–388, § 1, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4144; Pub. L. 112–166, § 2(f)(5), Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1285; Pub. L. 114–125, title VIII, § 802(g)(1)(A)(ii), Feb. 24, 2016, 130 Stat. 211; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XIX, §§ 1901(a), 1903(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2665, 2672; Pub. L. 115–278, § 2(g)(1), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4176; Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(f)(1), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5168; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(b)(21), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4345.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Sections 2 and 44 of title 14, referred to in subsec. (c), redesignated sections 102 and 302, respectively, of title 14 by Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 103(b), 104(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4195, 4196, and references to sections 2 and 44 of title 14 deemed to refer to such redesignated sections, see section 123(b)(1) of Pub. L. 115–282, set out as a References to Sections of Title 14 as Redesignated by Pub. L. 115–282 note preceding section 101 of Title 14, Coast Guard.

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (c) and (f), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–296, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2135, known as the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 101 of this title and Tables.

The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, referred to in subsec. (g)(3), is section 151(a) of title I of div. C of Pub. L. 105–277, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–611, which enacted sections 3345 to 3349d of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, repealed former sections 3345 to 3349 of Title 5, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 3345 of Title 5. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1998 Amendment note set out under section 3301 of Title 5 and Tables.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “chapter 4 of title 5.” for “the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).”

2018—Subsec. (a)(1)(H). Pub. L. 115–278 amended subpar. (H) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (H) read as follows: “An Under Secretary responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, and other related programs of the Department.”

Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 115–387 substituted “An Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office” for “A Director for Domestic Nuclear Detection”.

2016—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 114–125, § 802(g)(1)(A)(ii)(I), substituted “A Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” for “An Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security.”

Subsec. (a)(1)(F). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1903(a)(1)(A), inserted “, who shall be first assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 33 of title 5” before period at end.

Subsec. (a)(1)(G). Pub. L. 114–125, § 802(g)(1)(A)(ii)(II), substituted “A Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” for “A Director of the Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement.”

Subsec. (a)(1)(K). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1903(a)(1)(B), added subpar. (K).

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1901(a), added par. (5).

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1903(a)(2), added subsec. (g).

2012—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–166 redesignated introductory provisions as introductory provisions of par. (1), inserted par. (1) heading, substituted “Except as provided under paragraph (2), there” for “There”, redesignated pars. (1) to (10) as subpars. (A) to (J), respectively, of par. (1), and added par. (2).

2008—Subsec. (d)(3) to (5). Pub. L. 110–388 redesignated pars. (4) and (5) as (3) and (4), respectively, and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: “A Chief Human Capital Officer.”

2007—Subsec. (a)(8) to (10). Pub. L. 110–53 added par. (8) and redesignated former pars. (8) and (9) as (9) and (10), respectively.

2006—Subsec. (a)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 109–295, § 612(b)(2), (3), redesignated pars. (3) to (5) as (2) to (4), respectively, and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “An Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.”

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 109–295, § 612(b)(3), redesignated par. (6) as (5). Former par. (5) redesignated (4).

Pub. L. 109–295, § 612(b)(1), added par. (5) and struck out former par. (5) which read as follows: “An Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response.”

Subsec. (a)(6) to (10). Pub. L. 109–295, § 612(b)(3), redesignated pars. (7) to (10) as (6) to (9), respectively. Former par. (6) redesignated (5).

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 109–347 added par. (5).

2004—Subsec. (a)(8) to (10). Pub. L. 108–458 added par. (8) and redesignated former pars. (8) and (9) as (9) and (10), respectively.

Subsec. (d)(4), (5). Pub. L. 108–330, § 3(d)(1)(A)(i), redesignated par. (5) as (4) and struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: “A Chief Financial Officer.”

Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 108–330, § 3(d)(1)(A)(ii), (iii), added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).

2003—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 108–7 reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “There is an Inspector General, who shall be appointed as provided in section 3(a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see section 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title.

Effective Date of 2012 Amendment

Pub. L. 112–166, § 6(a), Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1295, provided that:

“The amendments made by section 2 [see Tables for classification] shall take effect 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [

Aug. 10, 2012] and apply to appointments made on and after that effective date, including any nomination pending in the Senate on that date.”

Under Secretary Responsible for Overseeing Critical Infrastructure Protection, Cybersecurity and Related Programs Authorized To Serve as Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security

For authorization of individual serving as Under Secretary responsible for overseeing critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity and related programs on the day before Nov. 16, 2018, to continue to serve as Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security on and after such date, see section 2(b)(1) of Pub. L. 115–278, Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4175, set out as a note under section 652 of this title.

¹ See References in Text note below.