November 15, 2002
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sends “kick-off memo,” outlining
the basic decision structure and methodology for the BRAC process.
December 19, 2002
Rumsfeld convenes the first meeting of the senior-level Infrastructure Executive
Council and the Infrastructure Steering Group.
April 15, 2003
The Infrastructure Executive Council recommends to the secretary what facility
categories should be considered for joint-service consolidation and which should
remain service-centric.
December 2003
The secretary must publish the selection criteria.
February 2004
The secretary must deliver to Congress a 24-year force structure plan, a report
on worldwide infrastructure inventory and the type of infrastructure necessary
to support that force structure plan. He also must provide an economic analysis
of the financial implications of BRAC. He must certify that there is a need
for BRAC and that there will be annual savings by 2011.
May 16, 2005
The president of the United States must nominate and the Senate must confirm
nine members to the BRAC commission. The secretary must make his BRAC recommendations
to that commission and to the defense committees on the Hill. If he does not
meet the deadline, BRAC stops.
September 8, 2005
The commission must report to the president of the United States. If it does
not meet that date, BRAC stops. The president then must approve or disapprove
and communicate his decision to Congress by September 23.
The recommendations are binding 45 days after the president sends them to Congress,
unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval.
October 20, 2005
The commission must come back to the president with either the same or some
modified list of recommendations. The president can accept or reject the entire
list, but not parts of it. If he accepts, he has until November 7 to inform
Congress.