AVAILABILITY OF SPECIAL PAY FOR DUTY AT DESIGNATED HARDSHIP DUTY LOCATIONS.

SEC. 619. AVAILABILITY OF SPECIAL PAY FOR DUTY AT DESIGNATED HARDSHIP DUTY LOCATIONS. (a) Special Pay Authorized.—Subsection (a) of section 305 of title 37, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(a) Special Pay Authorized.—A member of a uniformed service who is entitled to basic pay may be paid special pay under this section at a monthly rate not to exceed $300 while the member is on duty at a location in the United States or outside the United States designated by the Secretary of Defense as a hardship duty location.”. (b) Cross References and Regulations.—Such section is further amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) by inserting “Exception for Certain Members Serving in Certain Locations.—” after “(b)”; and (B) by striking out “as foreign duty pay” and inserting in lieu thereof “as hardship duty location pay”; (2) in subsection (c)— (A) by inserting “Exception for Members Receiving Career Sea Pay.—” after “(c)”; and111 STAT. 1790 (B) by striking out “special pay under this section” and inserting in lieu thereof “hardship duty location pay under subsection (a)”; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subsection: “(d) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the provision of hardship duty location pay under subsection (a), including the specific monthly rates at which the special pay will be available.”. (c) Clerical Amendments.—(1) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows: “§ 305. Special pay: hardship duty location pay”. (2) The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 5 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking out the item relating to section 305 and inserting in lieu thereof the following new item: “305. Special pay: hardship duty location pay.”. (d) Conforming Amendment.—Section 907(d) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking out “duty at certain places” and inserting in lieu thereof “duty at a hardship duty location”. (e) Transition.—Until such time as the Secretary of Defense prescribes regulations regarding the provision of hardship duty location pay under section 305 of title 37, United States Code, as amended by this section, the Secretary may continue to use the authority provided by such section 305, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, to provide special pay to enlisted members of the uniformed services on duty at certain places.