I found a CRS summary of the procedure outlined in sec 179, most relevant is the 2nd para:
In addition to agency-, account-, and program-specific provisions, Section 179 of P.L. 114-254
establishes expedited parliamentary procedures governing Senate consideration of legislation that
would waive a legal restriction related to the prior military service of the Secretary of Defense.
Section 113(a) of Title 10 of the U.S. Code establishes that an individual “may not be appointed
as Secretary of Defense within seven years after relief from active duty as a commissioned officer
of a regular component of an armed force.”116 Unless waived, this restriction would bar retired
Marine Corp General James N. Mattis, who has been selected by President-elect Donald J. Trump
to be Secretary of Defense, from serving in that capacity. General Mattis retired from active duty
in 2013.
In order to qualify for the expedited procedures, waiver legislation must be introduced during a
30-calendar day period that begins on the date that the 115th Congress convenes. The legislation
may be introduced by the Senate majority leader, the minority leader, or their respective
designees or by the chair or ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services. Both
the title of the legislation and the matter after the enacting (or resolving) clause are stipulated.
Once introduced, the legislation is to be referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services. If
the committee has not reported the waiver legislation within five session days after the date of its
referral, it is automatically discharged of further consideration of the measure.
Once pending on the Senate Calendar of Business (either by being reported or by the committee
being discharged), it is in order to make a non-debatable motion to proceed to consider the
legislation. This motion may be repeated if it has previously been disagreed to. All points of order
against the waiver legislation and its consideration are waived.
If the Senate adopts the motion to proceed, the waiver legislation would be pending and the
Senate would consider the measure until it has disposed of it. There would be up to 10 hours of
debate, divided and controlled by the party floor leaders or their designees. A non-debatable
motion to further limit debate is in order. Amendments and potentially dilatory motions are
barred. At the conclusion of debate, and after an optional quorum call, the Senate would
automatically vote on passage of the waiver legislation. Passage of the waiver legislation in the
Senate requires an affirmative vote of three-fifths of Members chosen and sworn—60 votes if
there are no vacancies in the Senate—the same threshold required for cloture on most legislation.
Should waiver legislation be subsequently vetoed, Senate consideration of a veto message would
be limited to up to 10 hours.
Because these “fast track” procedures are enacted as a Senate rule in law, the Senate could adjust
the provisions described above in whole or in part by unanimous consent.
Section 179 does not establish any expedited procedures providing for House consideration of
waiver legislation. Presumably such legislation would come to the House floor under the terms of
a special rule reported by the House Committee on Rules or, depending on its level of support,
under the suspension of the rules procedure.
