EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ACCESSION BONUS AUTHORITIES FOR CERTAIN OFFICERS IN HEALTH CARE SPECIALITIES.

SEC. 617. EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ACCESSION BONUS AUTHORITIES FOR CERTAIN OFFICERS IN HEALTH CARE SPECIALITIES.(a) Increase in Maximum Amount of Accession Bonus for Dental Officers.—Section 302h(a)(2) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking “$30,000” and inserting “$200,000”.(b) Accession Bonus for Medical Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialities.—Chapter 5 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 302j the following new section:“§ 302k. Special pay: accession bonus for medical officers in critically short wartime specialties“(a) Accession Bonus Authorized.—A person who is a graduate of an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty and who executes a written agreement described in subsection (d) to accept a commission as an officer of the armed forces and remain on active duty for a period of not less than four consecutive years may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, be paid an accession bonus in the amount determined by the Secretary concerned.“(b) Amount of Bonus.—The amount of an accession bonus under subsection (a) may not exceed $400,000.120 STAT. 2250“(c) Limitation on Eligibility for Bonus.—A person may not be paid a bonus under subsection (a) if—“(1) the person, in exchange for an agreement to accept an appointment as an officer, received financial assistance from the Department of Defense to pursue a course of study in medicine or osteopathy; or“(2) the Secretary concerned determines that the person is not qualified to become and remain certified as a doctor or osteopath in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty.“(d) Agreement.—The agreement referred to in subsection (a) shall provide that, consistent with the needs of the armed force concerned, the person executing the agreement will be assigned to duty, for the period of obligated service covered by the agreement, as an officer of the Medical Corps of the Army or the Navy or as an officer of the Air Force designated as a medical officer in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty.“(e) Repayment.—A person who, after executing an agreement under subsection (a) is not commissioned as an officer of the armed forces, does not become licensed as a doctor or osteopath, as the case may be, or does not complete the period of active duty in a specialty specified in the agreement, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of this title.“(f) Termination of Authority.—No agreement under this section may be entered into after December 31, 2007.” .(c) Accession Bonus for Dental Specialist Officers in Critically Short Wartime Specialities.—Such chapter is further amended by inserting after section 302k, as added by subsection (b), the following new section:“§ 302l. Special pay: accession bonus for dental specialist officers in critically short wartime specialties“(a) Accession Bonus Authorized.—A person who is a graduate of an accredited dental school in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty and who executes a written agreement described in subsection (d) to accept a commission as an officer of the armed forces and remain on active duty for a period of not less than four consecutive years may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, be paid an accession bonus in the amount determined by the Secretary concerned.“(b) Amount of Bonus.—The amount of an accession bonus under subsection (a) may not exceed $400,000.“(c) Limitation on Eligibility for Bonus.—A person may not be paid a bonus under subsection (a) if—“(1) the person, in exchange for an agreement to accept an appointment as an officer, received financial assistance from the Department of Defense to pursue a course of study in dentistry; or“(2) the Secretary concerned determines that the person is not qualified to become and remain certified as a dentist in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty.“(d) Agreement.—The agreement referred to in subsection (a) shall provide that, consistent with the needs of the armed force concerned, the person executing the agreement will be assigned 120 STAT. 2251 to duty, for the period of obligated service covered by the agreement, as an officer of the Dental Corps of the Army or the Navy or as an officer of the Air Force designated as a dental officer in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty.“(e) Repayment.—A person who, after executing an agreement under subsection (a) is not commissioned as an officer of the armed forces, does not become licensed as a dentist, or does not complete the period of active duty in a specialty specified in the agreement, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of this title.“(f) Coordination With Other Accession Bonus Authority.—A person eligible to execute an agreement under both subsection (a) and section 302h of this title shall elect which authority to execute the agreement under. A person may not execute an agreement under both subsection (a) and such section 302h.“(g) Termination of Authority.—No agreement under this section may be entered into after December 31, 2007.” .(d) Clerical Amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 302j the following new items: “302k. Special pay: accession bonus for medical officers in critically short wartime specialties. “302l. Special pay: accession bonus for dental specialist officers in critically short wartime specialties.”. (e) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 2006, and shall apply to agreements—(1) entered into or revised under section 302h of title 37, United States Code, on or after that date; or(2) entered into under section 302k or 302l of such title, as added by subsections (b) and (c), on or after that date.