SPECIAL PAY FOR CRITICALLY SHORT WARTIME HEALTH SPECIALISTS IN THE SELECTED RESERVE

SEC. 613. SPECIAL PAY FOR CRITICALLY SHORT WARTIME HEALTH SPECIALISTS IN THE SELECTED RESERVE (a) In General.—(1) An officer of a reserve component of the Armed Forces described in paragraph (2) who executes a written agreement under which the officer agrees to serve in the Selected Reserve of an armed force for a period of not less than one year nor more than three years, beginning on the date the officer accepts the award of special pay under this section, may be paid special pay at an annual rate not to exceed $10,000. (2) An officer referred to in paragraph (1) is an officer in a health care profession who is qualified in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty. (3) Special pay under this section shall be paid annually at the beginning of each twelve-month period for which the officer has agreed to serve. (b) Refund Requirement.—An officer who voluntarily terminates service in the Selected Reserve of an armed force before the end of the period for which a payment was made to such officer under this section shall refund to the United States the full amount of the payment made for the period on which the payment was based. (c) Inapplicability of Discharge in Bankruptcy.—A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11, United States Code, that is entered less than 5 years after the termination of an agreement under this section does not discharge the person receiving such special pay from the debt arising under the agreement. (d) Termination of Agreement Authority.—No agreement under this section may be entered into after September 30, 1990. (e) Purpose of Program.—The authority provided under this section shall be used only for the purpose of establishing and conducting a pilot test program to determine the effect that the program provided for in this section has on the retention of officers who are qualified in specialties designated by regulation as critically short wartime specialties. (f) Regulations.—(1) This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned and approved by the Secretary of Defense. 102 STAT. 1982 (2) As used in paragraph (1), the term “Secretary concerned” has the same meaning as provided in section 101(5) of title 37, United States Code. (g) Limitations on Obligations.—The total amount of payments made during fiscal year 1989 as the result of agreements entered into under this section may not exceed $4,000,000. (h) Report.—(1) Not later than September 1, 1988, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report containing a description of the manner in which the pilot test program provided for in this section is to be structured, including the minimum periods of service to be required for various levels of special pay under this section. (2) Not later than February 1, 1990, the Secretary also shall submit to such committees an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and recommendations for its continuation or modification. (i) Effective Date.—The authority to enter into agreements under this section shall take effect 30 days after the date on which the committees referred to in subsection (h)(1) receive the report required by such subsection.