
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document affected by Public Law 106-398 Section 1[624(b)(1)]]
[CITE: 37USC308f]

 
         TITLE 37--PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES
 
                  CHAPTER 5--SPECIAL AND INCENTIVE PAYS
 
Sec. 308f. Special pay: bonus for enlistment in the Army

    (a) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army, a 
person--
        (1) who is a high school graduate (or has received a high school 
    education equivalency certificate);
        (2) whose score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test is at or 
    above the fiftieth percentile; and
        (3) who enlists in the Army for a period of at least 2 years in 
    a skill designated as critical,

may be paid a bonus in an amount prescribed by the Secretary of the Army 
not to exceed $6,000. The bonus may be paid in a lump sum or in equal 
periodic installments, as determined by the Secretary of the Army.
    (b)(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army, a 
person who voluntarily, or because of his misconduct, does not complete 
the term of enlistment for which a bonus was paid to him under this 
section, or a person who is not technically qualified in the skill for 
which a bonus was paid to him under this section (other than a person 
who is not qualified because of injury, illness, or other impairment not 
the result of his own misconduct), shall refund to the United States 
that percentage of the bonus that the unexpired part of his enlistment 
is of the total enlistment period for which the bonus was paid.
    (2) An obligation to reimburse the United States imposed under 
paragraph (1) is for all purposes a debt owed to the United States.
    (3) 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 member signing such agreement from a debt arising 
under such agreement or under paragraph (1). This paragraph applies to 
any case commenced under title 11 after September 30, 1981.
    (c) No bonus may be paid under this section with respect to an 
enlistment in the Army after December 31, 2000.

(Added Pub. L. 97-60, title I, Sec. 117(c)(1), Oct. 14, 1981, 95 Stat. 
996; amended Pub. L. 98-14, Sec. 2, Mar. 30, 1983, 97 Stat. 55; Pub. L. 
98-525, title VI, Sec. 621(a), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2540; Pub. L. 
100-180, div. A, title VI, Sec. 626(a), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1104; 
Pub. L. 102-25, title VII, Sec. 702(b)(2), Apr. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 117; 
Pub. L. 103-160, div. A, title VI, Sec. 613(e), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 
1681; Pub. L. 103-337, div. A, title VI, Sec. 613(c), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 
Stat. 2783; Pub. L. 104-106, div. A, title VI, Sec. 613(c), Feb. 10, 
1996, 110 Stat. 359; Pub. L. 104-201, div. A, title VI, Sec. 613(c), 
Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2544; Pub. L. 105-85, div. A, title VI, 
Sec. 613(c), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1786; Pub. L. 105-261, div. A, 
title VI, Secs. 613(c), 620, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2039, 2042; Pub. 
L. 106-65, div. A, title VI, Secs. 613(d), 622(a), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 
Stat. 650, 653.)


                               Amendments

    1999--Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 106-65, Sec. 622(a), substituted ``2 
years'' for ``3 years''.
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106-65, Sec. 613(d), substituted ``December 31, 
2000'' for ``December 31, 1999''.
    1998--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105-261, Sec. 620, substituted ``$6,000'' 
for ``$4,000'' in concluding provisions.
    Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-261, Sec. 613(c), substituted ``December 
31, 1999'' for ``September 30, 1999''.
    1997--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105-85 substituted ``September 30, 1999'' 
for ``September 30, 1998''.
    1996--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-201 substituted ``September 30, 
1998'' for ``September 30, 1997''.
    Pub. L. 104-106 substituted ``September 30, 1997'' for ``September 
30, 1996''.
    1994--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103-337 substituted ``September 30, 
1996'' for ``September 30, 1995''.
    1993--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103-160 substituted ``September 30, 
1995'' for ``September 30, 1992''.
    1991--Subsec. (b)(2), (3). Pub. L. 102-25 struck out ``of this 
subsection'' after ``paragraph (1)''.
    1987--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100-180 substituted ``September 30, 
1992'' for ``September 30, 1987''.
    1984--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-525 substituted ``September 30, 1987'' 
for ``September 30, 1984''.
    1983--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98-14 substituted ``September 30, 1984'' 
for ``September 30, 1983''.


                    Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

    Pub. L. 106-65, div. A, title VI, Sec. 622(b), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 
Stat. 653, provided that: ``The amendment made by subsection (a) 
[amending this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1999, and shall 
apply with respect to enlistments entered into on or after that date.''


                    Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

    Section 613(h)(3) of Pub. L. 103-160 provided that: ``The amendment 
made by subsection (e) [amending this section] shall take effect as of 
September 30, 1992, and shall apply with respect to an enlistment in the 
Army described in section 308f of title 37, United States Code, 
occurring on or after that date.''


                             Effective Date

    Section applicable to enlistments and reenlistments after Oct. 14, 
1981, see section 117(d) of Pub. L. 97-60, set out as an Effective Date 
of 1981 Amendment note under section 308 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in title 38 section 3015.
