NURSE OFFICER CANDIDATE ACCESSION BONUS

SEC. 707. NURSE OFFICER CANDIDATE ACCESSION BONUS (a) Bonus Authorized.—Chapter 105 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter: “SUBCHAPTER III—NURSE OFFICER CANDIDATE ACCESSION PROGRAM “Sec. “2130a. Financial assistance: nurse officer candidates. “§ 2130a. Financial assistance: nurse officer candidates “(a) Bonus Authorized.—(1) A person described in subsection (b) who, during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 and ending on September 30, 1991, executes a written agreement in accordance with subsection (c) to accept an appointment as a nurse officer may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, be paid an accession-bonus of not more than $5,000. The bonus shall be paid in periodic installments, as determined by the Secretary concerned at the time the agreement is accepted, except that the first installment may not exceed $2,500. “(2) In addition to the accession bonus payable under paragraph (1), a person selected under such paragraph shall be entitled to a monthly stipend of not more than $500 for each month the individual is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing at a civilian educational institution that does not have a Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Program established under section 2102 of this title. The continuation bonus may be paid for not more than 24 months. “(b) Eligible Students.—A person eligible to enter into an agreement under subsection (a) is a person who— “(1) is enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing at a civilian educational institution that does not have a Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Program established under section 2102 of this title; “(2) has completed the second year of an accredited baccalaureate degree program in nursing and has more than 6 months of academic work remaining before graduation; and “(3) meets the qualifications for appointment as an officer of a reserve component of the Army, Navy, or Air Force as set forth in section 591 of this title or, in the case of the Public Health 103 STAT. 1475Service, section 207 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 209) and the regulations of the Secretary concerned. “(c) Required Agreement.—The agreement referred to in subsection (a) shall provide that the person executing the agreement agrees to the following: “(1) That the person will complete the nursing degree program described in subsection (b)(1). “(2) That, upon acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, the person will enlist in a reserve component of an armed force. “(3) That the person will accept an appointment as an officer in the Nurse Corps of the Army or the Navy or as an officer designated as a nurse officer in the Air Force or commissioned corps of the Public Health Service, as the case may be, upon graduation from the nursing degree program. “(4) That the person will serve on active duty as such an officer— “(A) for a period of 4 years in the case of a person whose agreement was accepted by the Secretary concerned during that person’s fourth year of the nursing degree program; or “(B) for a period of 5 years in the case of a person whose agreement was accepted by the Secretary concerned during that person’s third year of the nursing degree program. “(d) Refund of Payments.—(1) A person shall refund any bonus or stipend paid under subsection (a) if the person— “(A) fails to complete a nursing degree program in which the person is enrolled in accordance with the agreement entered into under such subsection; “(B) having completed the nursing degree program, fails to accept an appointment, if tendered, as an officer of the Nurse Corps of the Army or the Navy or as an officer designated as a nurse officer of the Air Force or commissioned corps of the Public Health Service; or “(C) fails to complete the period of obligated active service required under the agreement. “(2) An obligation to reimburse the United States imposed under paragraph (1) is for all purposes a debt owed to the United States. “(3) A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11 that is entered less than five years after the termination of an agreement under this section does not discharge the person signing such agreement from a debt arising under such agreement or this subsection. This paragraph applies to any case commenced under title 11 after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991.”. “(e) Regulations.—The Secretaries concerned shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.”. (b) Clerical Amendment.—The table of subchapters at the beginning of chapter 105 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following new item: “III. Nurse Officer Candidate Accession Program 2130a”.