§ 302h. — Special pay: accession bonus for dental officers.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 37USC302h]
TITLE 37--PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES
CHAPTER 5--SPECIAL AND INCENTIVE PAYS
Sec. 302h. Special pay: accession bonus for dental officers
(a) Accession Bonus Authorized.--(1) A person who is a graduate of
an accredited dental school and who, during the period beginning on
September 23, 1996, and ending on December 31, 2003, executes a written
agreement described in subsection (c) to accept a commission as an
officer of the armed forces and remain on active duty for a period of
not less than four years may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by
the Secretary concerned, be paid an accession bonus in an amount
determined by the Secretary concerned.
(2) The amount of an accession bonus under paragraph (1) may not
exceed $30,000.
(b) 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 and licensed as a dentist.
(c) Agreement.--The agreement referred to in subsection (a) shall
provide that, consistent with the needs of the armed service 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 Dental Corps of the Army or the Navy or an officer of the Air Force
designated as a dental officer.
(d) Repayment.--(1) An officer who receives a payment under
subsection (a) and who fails to become and remain certified or licensed
as a dentist during the period for which the payment is made shall
refund to the United States an amount equal to the full amount of such
payment.
(2) An officer who voluntarily terminates service on active duty
before the end of the period agreed to be served under subsection (a)
shall refund to the United States an amount that bears the same ratio to
the amount paid to the officer as the unserved part of such period bears
to the total period agreed to be served.
(3) An obligation to reimburse the United States imposed under
paragraph (1) or (2) is for all purposes a debt owed to the United
States.
(4) A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11 that is entered less
than five 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 this subsection. This paragraph applies to any
case commenced under title 11 after the date of the enactment of this
section.
(Added Pub. L. 104-201, div. A, title VI, Sec. 615(c)(1), Sept. 23,
1996, 110 Stat. 2545; amended Pub. L. 107-107, div. A, title VI,
Sec. 618, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1137; Pub. L. 107-314, div. A, title
VI, Sec. 612(f), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2568.)
References in Text
The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsec.
(d)(4), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 104-201, which was approved
Sept. 23, 1996.
Amendments
2002--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107-314 substituted ``December 31,
2003'' for ``December 31, 2002''.
2001--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 107-107 substituted ``September 23,
1996, and ending on December 31, 2002'' for ``the date of the enactment
of this section, and ending on September 30, 2002''.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 303a, 324 of this title.
