---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 493"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "493"
heading: "Membership"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/493"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization"
  - "Subchapter IX — National Homeland Security Council"
---

# §493. Membership

- (a) **Members—** The members of the [Council](/usc/6/681.md?p=2) shall be the following:
  - (1) The President.
  - (2) The Vice President.
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security.
  - (4) The Attorney General.
  - (5) The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Defense.
  - (6) Such other individuals as may be designated by the President.
- (b) **Attendance of Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff at meetings—** The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) may, in the role of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as principal military adviser to the [Council](/usc/6/681.md?p=2) and subject to the direction of the President, attend and participate in meetings of the [Council](/usc/6/681.md?p=2).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–296, title IX, § 903, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2258; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title IX, § 908(b), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3404.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2006—Pub. L. 109–163 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b).