SPECIAL RETENTION INITIATIVE.

SEC. 662. SPECIAL RETENTION INITIATIVE. Section 211 of title 37, United States Code, as added by section 661, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(d) Agency Contributions for Retention in Critical Specialties.—(1) The Secretary concerned may enter into an agreement with a member to make contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund for the benefit of the member if the member— “(A) is in a specialty designated by the Secretary as critical to meet requirements (whether such specialty is designated as critical to meet wartime or peacetime requirements); and “(B) commits in such agreement to continue to serve on active duty in that specialty for a period of 6 years. “(2) Under any agreement entered into with a member under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall make contributions to the Fund 113 STAT. 673for the benefit of the member for each pay period of the 6-year period of the agreement for which the member makes a contribution to the Fund under section 8440e of title 5 (other than under subsection (d)(2) thereof). Paragraph (2) of section 8432(c) of title 5 applies to the Secretary’s obligation to make contributions under this paragraph, except that the reference in such paragraph (2) to contributions under paragraph (1) of such section 8432(c) does not apply.”.