MODIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE BONUS FOR REENLISTMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR EXTENSION OF ENLISTMENT.

SEC. 619. MODIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE BONUS FOR REENLISTMENT, ENLISTMENT, OR EXTENSION OF ENLISTMENT. (a) Eligibility Based on Qualifications in Critically Short Wartime Skills or Specialties.—Subsection (a) of section 308h of title 37, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(a) Authority and Eligibility Requirements.—(1) The Secretary concerned may pay a bonus as provided in subsection (b) to an eligible person who reenlists, enlists, or voluntarily extends an enlistment in a reserve component of an armed force for assignment to an element (other than the Selected Reserve) of the Ready Reserve of that armed force if the reenlistment, enlistment, or extension is for a period of three years, or for a period of six years, beyond any other period the person is obligated to serve. 115 STAT. 1138 “(2) A person is eligible for a bonus under this section if the person— “(A) is or has been a member of an armed force; “(B) is qualified in a skill or specialty designated by the Secretary concerned as a critically short wartime skill or critically short wartime specialty; and “(C) has not failed to complete satisfactorily any original term of enlistment in the armed forces. “(3) For the purposes of this section, the Secretary concerned may designate a skill or specialty as a critically short wartime skill or critically short wartime specialty for an armed force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary if the Secretary determines that— “(A) the skill or specialty is critical to meet wartime requirements of the armed force; and “(B) there is a critical shortage of personnel in that armed force who are qualified in that skill or specialty.”. (b) Clerical Amendments.—Such section is further amended— (1) in subsection (b), by inserting “Bonus Amounts; Payment.—” after “(b)”; (2) in subsection (c), by inserting “Repayment of Bonus.—” after “(c)”; (3) in subsection (d), by inserting “Treatment of Reimbursement Obligation.—” after “(d)”; (4) in subsection (e), by inserting “Effect of Bankruptcy.—” after “(e)”; (5) in subsection (f), by inserting “Regulations.—” after “(f)”; and (6) in subsection (g), by inserting “Termination of Authority.—” after “(g)”. (c) Regulations.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries of the military departments shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary for administering subsection (a) of section 308h of title 37, United States Code, as amended by this section. (d) Application of Amendment.—Subsection (a) of section 308h of title 37, United States Code, as amended by this section, shall apply with respect to reserve component reenlistments, enlistments, and extensions of enlistments that are executed on or after the first day of the first month that begins more than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. Subsection (a) of such section 308h, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall continue to apply with respect to reserve component reenlistments, enlistments, and extensions of enlistments that are executed before the first day of that first month.