PAYMENT OF INACTIVE DUTY TRAINING TRAVEL COSTS FOR CERTAIN SELECTED RESERVE MEMBERS.

SEC. 631. PAYMENT OF INACTIVE DUTY TRAINING TRAVEL COSTS FOR CERTAIN SELECTED RESERVE MEMBERS.(a) Payment of Travel Costs Authorized.—(1) In general.—Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 408 the following new section:“§ 408a. Travel and transportation allowances: inactive duty training outside of normal commuting distances“(a) Allowance Authorized.—The Secretary concerned may reimburse an eligible member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve for travel expenses for travel to an inactive duty training location to perform inactive duty training when the member is required to commute a distance from the member’s permanent residence to the inactive duty training location that is outside the normal commuting distance (as determined under the regulations prescribed under subsection (d)) for that commute.“(b) Eligible Members.—To be eligible for reimbursement under subsection (a), a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve must be—“(1) qualified in a skill designated as critically short by the Secretary concerned;“(2) assigned to a unit of the Selected Reserve with a critical manpower shortage or in a pay grade in the member’s reserve component with a critical manpower shortage; or122 STAT. 154“(3) assigned to a unit or position that is disestablished or relocated as a result of defense base closure or realignment or another force structure reallocation.“(c) Maximum Reimbursement Amount.—The amount of reimbursement provided a member under subsection (a) for each round trip to a training location may not exceed $300.“(d) Regulations.—The Secretary concerned shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of a military department shall be subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.“(e) Termination.—No reimbursement may be provided under this section for travel that occurs after December 31, 2010.” .(2) Clerical amendment.—The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 408 the following new item: “408a. Travel and transportation allowances: inactive duty training outside of normal commuting distances.”. (b) Application of Amendment.—No reimbursement may be provided under section 408a of title 37, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), for travel costs incurred before the date of the enactment of this Act.