REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION ASSISTANCE.

SEC. 573. REIMBURSEMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION ASSISTANCE. (a) In General. —Section 2005 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsections: “(g)(1) In any case in which the Secretary concerned determines that a person who entered into an agreement under this section failed to complete the period of active duty specified in the agreement (or failed to fulfill any other term or condition prescribed in the agreement) and, by reason of the provision of the agreement required under subsection (a)(3), may owe a debt to the United States and in which that person disputes that such a debt is owed, the Secretary shall designate a member of the armed forces 107 STAT. 1674or a civilian employee under the jurisdiction of the Secretary to investigate the facts of the case and hear evidence presented by the person who may owe the debt and other parties, as appropriate, in order to determine the validity of the debt. That official shall report the official’s findings and recommendations to the Secretary concerned. If the justification for the debt investigated includes an allegation of misconduct, the investigating official shall state in the report the official’s assessment as to whether the individual behavior that resulted in the separation of the person who may owe the debt dualities as misconduct under subsection (a)(3). “(2) The Secretary of each military department shall ensure that a member of the armed forces who may be subject to a reimbursement requirement under this section is advised of such requirement before (1) submitting a request for voluntary separation, or (2) making a decision on a course of action regarding personal involvement in administrative, nonjudicial, and judicial action resulting from alleged misconduct. “(h) The Secretary concerned may, at any time before October 1, 1998, modify an agreement described in subsection (a) to reduce the active duty service obligation specified in the agreement if the Secretary determines that it is in the best interests of the United States to do so. In such a case, the Secretary shall reduce the amount required to be reimbursed to the United States proportionately with the reduction in the period of obligated active duty service.”. (b) Effective Dates.—(1) Subsection (g) of section 2005 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to persons separated from the Armed Forces after the end of the six-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Subsection (h) of such section, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to persons separated from the Armed Forces after the date of the enactment of this Act.