INCREASE IN MAXIMUM RATES FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL PAYS, BONUSES, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

SEC. 615. INCREASE IN MAXIMUM RATES FOR CERTAIN SPECIAL PAYS, BONUSES, AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. (a) Retention Bonus for Medical Officers.—Section 301d(a)(2) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking “$14,000” and inserting “$50,000”. (b) Retention Bonus for Dental Officers.—Section 301e(a)(2) of such title is amended by striking “$14,000” and inserting “$50,000”. (c) Incentive Special Pay for Medical Officers.—Section 302(b)(1) of such title is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting the following new sentence: “The amount of incentive special pay paid to an officer under this subsection may not exceed $50,000 for any 12-month period.”. (d) Retention Special Pay Optometrists.—Section 302a(b)(l) of such title is amended by striking “$6,000” and inserting “$15,000”. (e) Accession Bonus for Registered Nurses.—Section 302d(a)(2) of such title is amended by striking “$5,000” and inserting “$30,000”.116 STAT. 2569 (f) Incentive Special Pay for Nurse Anesthetists.—Section 302e(a)(l) of such title is amended by striking “$15,000” and inserting “$50,000”. (g) Retention Special Pay for Pharmacy Officers.—Section 302i of such title is amended— (1) in subsections (a) and (b), by striking “special pay at the rates specified in subsection (d)” both places it appears and inserting “retention special pay under this section”; (2) in subsection (c), by striking “Limitation.—” and inserting “Limitation on Eligibility for Special Pay.—” and (3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following new subsection: “(d) Limitation on Amount of Special Pay.—The amount of retention special pay paid to an officer under this section may not exceed $15,000 for any 12-month period.”. (h) Financial Assistance for Nurse Officer Candidates.—Section 2130a(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking “$5,000” in the first sentence and inserting “$10,000” and by striking “$2,500” in the second sentence and inserting “$5,000”; and (2) in paragraph (2), by striking “$500” and inserting “$1,000”. (i) Application of Increase.—In the case of an amendment made by this section to increase the maximum amount of a special pay or bonus that may be paid during any 12-month period, the amended limitation shall apply to 12-month periods beginning after September 30, 2002.