---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1599d"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1599d"
heading: "Financial management positions: authority to prescribe professional certification and credential standards"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1599d"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 81 — Civilian Employees"
---

# §1599d. Financial management positions: authority to prescribe professional certification and credential standards

- (a) **Authority To Prescribe Professional Certification and Credential Standards.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may prescribe professional certification and credential [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) for financial management positions within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, including requirements for formal education and requirements for certifications that individuals have met predetermined qualifications set by an [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) of Government or by an industry or professional group. Any such professional certification or credential standard shall be prescribed as a [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) regulation.
- (b) **Waiver.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may waive any standard prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a) whenever the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines such a waiver to be appropriate.
- (c) **Applicability.—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#c-2), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may, in the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)’s discretion—
    - (A) require that a standard prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a) apply immediately to all personnel holding financial management positions designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3); or
    - (B) delay the imposition of such a standard for a reasonable period to permit [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) holding financial management positions so designated time to comply.
  - (2) A formal education requirement prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a) shall not apply to any [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) employed by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in a financial management position before the standard is prescribed.
- (d) **Discharge of Authority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall prescribe any professional certification or credential [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) under [subsection (a)](#a) through the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense (Comptroller), in consultation with the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
- (e) **Reports.—** Not later than one year after the effective date of any regulations prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a), or any significant modification of such regulations, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall, in conjunction with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, submit to Congress a report setting forth the plans of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to provide [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) to appropriate [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) personnel to meet any new professional certification or credential standard under such regulations or modification.
- (f) **Financial Management Position Defined.—** In this section, the term “financial management position” means a position or group of positions (including civilian and [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) positions), as designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) for purposes of this section, that perform, supervise, or manage work of a fiscal, financial management, accounting, auditing, cost, or budgetary nature, or that require the performance of financial management-related work.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title XI, § 1104(a)(1), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2661; amended Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title XI, § 1110, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4619; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1051(a), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1581.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2011—Pub. L. 112–81 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to the authority to prescribe certification and credential standards for professional accounting positions.

2008—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “0505, 0510, 0511, or equivalent” for “GS–510, GS–511, and GS–505”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title XI, § 1104(b), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2661, provided that: “Standards established pursuant to section 1599d of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may take effect no sooner than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 2, 2002].”