Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 37 : Section 302


   
U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 302. Special pay: medical officers of the armed forces

      (a) Variable, Additional, and Board Certification Special Pay. -
    (1) An officer who is an officer of the Medical Corps of the Army
    or the Navy or an officer of the Air Force designated as a medical
    officer and who is on active duty under a call or order to active
    duty for a period of not less than one year is entitled to special
    pay in accordance with this subsection.
      (2) An officer described in paragraph (1) who is serving in a pay
    grade below pay grade O-7 is entitled to variable special pay at
    the following rates:
        (A) $1,200 per year, if the officer is undergoing medical
      internship training.
        (B) $5,000 per year, if the officer has less than six years of
      creditable service and is not undergoing medical internship
      training.
        (C) $12,000 per year, if the officer has at least six but less
      than eight years of creditable service.
        (D) $11,500 per year, if the officer has at least eight but
      less than ten years of creditable service.
        (E) $11,000 per year, if the officer has at least ten but less
      than twelve years of creditable service.
        (F) $10,000 per year, if the officer has at least twelve but
      less than fourteen years of creditable service.
        (G) $9,000 per year, if the officer has at least fourteen but
      less than eighteen years of creditable service.
        (H) $8,000 per year, if the officer has at least eighteen but
      less than twenty-two years of creditable service.
        (I) $7,000 per year, if the officer has twenty-two or more
      years of creditable service.

      (3) An officer described in paragraph (1) who is serving in a pay
    grade above pay grade O-6 is entitled to variable special pay at
    the rate of $7,000 per year.
      (4) Subject to subsection (c), an officer entitled to variable
    special pay under paragraph (2) or (3) is entitled to additional
    special pay of $15,000 for any twelve-month period during which the
    officer is not undergoing medical internship or initial residency
    training.
      (5) An officer who is entitled to variable special pay under
    paragraph (2) or (3) and who is board certified is entitled to
    additional special pay at the following rates:
        (A) $2,500 per year, if the officer has less than ten years of
      creditable service.
        (B) $3,500 per year, if the officer has at least ten but less
      than twelve years of creditable service.
        (C) $4,000 per year, if the officer has at least twelve but
      less than fourteen years of creditable service.
        (D) $5,000 per year, if the officer has at least fourteen but
      less than eighteen years of creditable service.
        (E) $6,000 per year, if the officer has eighteen or more years
      of creditable service.

      (b) Incentive Special Pay. - (1) Subject to subsection (c) and
    paragraph (2) and under regulations prescribed under section
    303a(a) of this title, an officer who is entitled to variable
    special pay under subsection (a)(2) may be paid incentive special
    pay for any twelve-month period during which the officer is not
    undergoing medical internship or initial residency training. The
    amount of incentive special pay paid to an officer under this
    subsection may not exceed $50,000 for any 12-month period.
      (2) An officer is not eligible for incentive special pay under
    paragraph (1) unless the Secretary concerned has determined that
    such officer is qualified in the medical profession.
      (c) Active-Duty Agreement. - (1) An officer may not be paid
    additional special pay under subsection (a)(4) or incentive special
    pay under subsection (b) for any twelve-month period unless the
    officer first executes a written agreement under which the officer
    agrees to remain on active duty for a period of not less than one
    year beginning on the date the officer accepts the award of such
    special pay.
      (2) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense
    under section 303a(a) of this title, the Secretary of the military
    department concerned may terminate at any time an officer's
    entitlement to the special pay authorized by subsection (a)(4) or
    (b)(1). If such entitlement is terminated, the officer concerned is
    entitled to be paid such special pay only for the part of the
    period of active duty that he served, and he may be required to
    refund any amount in excess of that entitlement.
      (d) Regulations. - Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of
    Defense under section 303a(a) of this title shall include standards
    for determining - 
        (1) whether an officer is undergoing medical internship or
      initial residency training for purposes of subsections (a)(2)(A),
      (a)(2)(B), (a)(4), and (b)(1); and
        (2) whether an officer is board certified for purposes of
      subsection (a)(5).

      (e) Frequency of Payments. - Special pay payable to an officer
    under paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) of subsection (a) shall be paid
    monthly. Special pay payable to an officer under subsection (a)(4)
    or (b)(1) shall be paid annually at the beginning of the
    twelve-month period for which the officer is entitled to such
    payment.
      (f) Refund for Period of Unserved Obligated Service. - An officer
    who voluntarily terminates service on active duty before the end of
    the period for which a payment was made to such officer under
    subsection (a)(4) or (b)(1) shall refund to the United States an
    amount which bears the same ratio to the amount paid to such
    officer as the unserved part of such period bears to the total
    period for which the payment was made.
      (g) Determination of Creditable Service. - For purposes of this
    section, creditable service of an officer is computed by adding - 
        (1) all periods which the officer spent in medical internship
      or residency training during which the officer was not on active
      duty; and
        (2) all periods of active service in the Medical Corps of the
      Army or Navy, as an officer of the Air Force designated as a
      medical officer, or as a medical officer of the Public Health
      Service.

      (h) Reserve Medical Officers Special Pay. - (1) A reserve medical
    officer described in paragraph (2) is entitled to special pay at
    the rate of $450 a month for each month of active duty, including
    active duty in the form of annual training, active duty for
    training, and active duty for special work.
      (2) A reserve medical officer referred to in paragraph (1) is a
    reserve officer who - 
        (A) is an officer of the Medical Corps of the Army or the Navy
      or an officer of the Air Force designated as a medical officer;
      and
        (B) is on active duty under a call or order to active duty for
      a period of less than one year.

      (i) Effect of Discharge in Bankruptcy. - A discharge in
    bankruptcy under title 11 that is entered less than 5 years after
    the termination of an agreement under this section does not
    discharge the person signing such agreement from a debt arising
    under such agreement or under subsection (c)(2) or (f). This
    paragraph applies to any case commenced under title 11 after
    September 30, 1985.



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