113 S1068 ES: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2013
U.S. Senate
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title; table of contents(a)This Act may be cited as the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of
2013
.(b)The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of
contents.Sec. 2. References to National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002.TITLE I—General
provisionsSec. 101. Strength and distribution in
grade.Sec. 102. Exclusion of officers recalled from
retired status and positions of importance and responsibility from number of
authorized commissioned officers.Sec. 103. Obligated service
requirement.Sec. 104. Training and physical
fitness.TITLE II—Appointments and
promotion of officersSec. 201. Appointments.Sec. 202. Personnel boards.Sec. 203. Delegation of authority for
appointments and promotions to permanent grades.Sec. 204. Temporary appointments.Sec. 205. Officer candidates.Sec. 206. Procurement of personnel.TITLE III—Separation and
retirement of officersSec. 301. Involuntary retirement or
separation.Sec. 302. Separation pay.TITLE IV—Rights and
benefitsSec. 401. Education loan repayment
program.Sec. 402. Interest payment program.Sec. 403. Student pre-commissioning education
assistance program.Sec. 404. Limitation on educational
assistance.Sec. 405. Applicability of certain provisions
of title 10, United States Code.Sec. 406. Applicability of certain provisions
of title 37, United States Code.Sec. 407. Application of certain provisions of
competitive service law.Sec. 408. Eligibility of all members of
uniformed services for Legion of Merit award.Sec. 409. Application of Employment and
Reemployment Rights of Members of the Uniformed Services to members of
commissioned officer corps.Sec. 410. Protected communications for
commissioned officer corps and prohibition of retaliatory personnel
actions.Sec. 411. Criminal penalties for wearing
uniform without authority.Sec. 412. Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for purposes of certain hiring decisions.TITLE V—Other mattersSec. 501. Technical correction.Sec. 502. Report.Sec. 503. Effective date.2.References to National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of
2002Except as otherwise
expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in
terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the
reference shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act
of 2002 (33 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.).<enum>I</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">General
provisions</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7d149611-5faa-4305-8bf7-788e8dfb6f6d" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>101.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Strength and distribution in
grade</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 214 (33 U.S.C.
3004) is amended to read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5ca778da-f39d-4044-86aa-0e2431f5ecdd" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc2867cdb-124a-4c74-9e78-5f6bbfd04b3e" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>214.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Strength and distribution in grade</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id14ddfb2b-1753-4a1a-a789-ce2677f1ad98"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grades</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The commissioned grades in the commissioned
officer corps of the Administration are the following, in relative rank with
officers of the Navy:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc4a11158-c403-42ae-9e84-19ca477d9814"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Vice admiral.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide4deb10e-bbb6-46eb-8564-d9db54e805da"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rear admiral.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id13b12ec9-425a-494c-b918-454d1be46047"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rear admiral (lower half).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9006f760-c7b0-4c2f-bfcb-ea656e86a0ec"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Captain.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf8696cc7-2849-422a-8f37-aa86d0d74fd1"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Commander.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8e160559-38f1-44c2-a4e2-dc6e0672381c"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant commander.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide537d451-7412-4626-9800-c3d9130030f5"><enum>(7)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida88af649-41bf-4fb6-ae80-3052861486e4"><enum>(8)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant (junior grade).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9f37c6b0-7471-496b-9b05-354ef20da093"><enum>(9)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Ensign.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb18c7014-def8-4828-bcff-ee91012645c4"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Proportion</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0a9e6d1f-66fa-4c4c-9abc-3483e6a70d72"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The officers on the lineal list shall be
distributed in grade in the following percentages:</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaefd25b8-e528-408a-b3cd-ff8918518c10"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">8 in the grade of captain.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id46398cb6-dd29-4aa8-817c-eaca131adb2a"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">14 in the grade of commander.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0b4a08f2-5f33-4068-8c37-d88edc33ac7a"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">19 in the grade of lieutenant
commander.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfe9becd5-1c49-4e60-be60-40ed741d4f4f"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grades below lieutenant
commander</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall
prescribe, with respect to the distribution on the lineal list in grade, the
percentages applicable to the grades of lieutenant, lieutenant (junior grade),
and ensign.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9465cabd-e2af-49db-8f68-a470b5db243b"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Annual computation of number in
grade</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc6cd538a-86a5-4217-a1dd-91dd463f37e8"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not less frequently than once each year,
the Secretary shall make a computation to determine the number of officers on
the lineal list authorized to be serving in each grade.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id83228efb-6c7e-4010-a617-62560db65db0"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Method of computation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The number in each grade shall be computed
by applying the applicable percentage to the total number of such officers
serving on active duty on the date the computation is made.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idce4e8d8a-aae5-4a16-bf24-9d29ea293134"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Fractions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If a final fraction occurs in computing the
authorized number of officers in a grade, the nearest whole number shall be
taken. If the fraction is <fraction>½</fraction>, the next higher whole number
shall be taken.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id367f9f89-140c-4097-ac6e-2488a1c055b3"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Temporary increase in numbers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The total number of officers authorized by
law to be on the lineal list during a fiscal year may be temporarily exceeded
if the average number on that list during that fiscal year does not exceed the
authorized number.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idecfb9722-3d08-4d66-bf8c-3c3ec3f1545b"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Positions of importance and
responsibility</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officers
serving in positions designated under section 228(a) and officers recalled from
retired status shall not be counted when computing authorized strengths under
subsection (c) and shall not count against those strengths.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcd9f5c42-819f-472f-b32b-b144f3d852a8"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Preservation of grade and pay</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No officer may be reduced in grade or pay
or separated from the commissioned officer corps of the Administration as the
result of a computation made to determine the authorized number of officers in
the various
grades.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3c425c20-54b8-48f7-b742-2cef365bfab4" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>102.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Exclusion of officers recalled from retired
status and positions of importance and responsibility from number of authorized
commissioned officers</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section
215 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3005">33 U.S.C. 3005</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id47b310f6-a441-4307-bc27-f0a45dbd32a8"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the matter before paragraph (1), by
striking <quote>Effective</quote> and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9cf5072d-cb3e-4a95-b4de-44447c7b4751" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id51ba066d-8e48-443e-a992-c05ddc0c8603"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Effective</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id51767090-8529-4d6d-91fa-9f286b3fb33c"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the following new
subsection:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id53b3b6a1-afb0-4572-afad-c765467bea9d" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb2034f30-e9a5-412c-ac3d-765d09618989"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Positions of importance and
responsibility</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officers
serving in positions designated under section 228 and officers recalled from
retired status—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida2acc00a-d948-47f6-941b-3009eb1a8a8a"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may not be counted in determining the total
number of authorized officers on the lineal list under this section; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef3394db-65ad-4a0a-99cd-9ab13bddc44f"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may not count against such
number.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4e54990c-3579-48d7-b7ef-c408ec488914" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>103.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Obligated service requirement</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfffc5357-e20d-4836-9e32-0c2bb84460da"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle A (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3001">33 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.</external-xref>) is
amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id36617008-61b3-4705-8f9e-a9a9a8ffb236" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9d65c932-aa19-46b1-8fe9-f8a073d7fafa" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>216.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Obligated service requirement</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id57fe3882-54c8-449d-9393-2705529570ae"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9a3e8d3a-f1db-4d1c-bed7-c4568ba70dae"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rulemaking</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prescribe the obligated
service requirements for appointments, training, promotions, separations,
continuations, and retirement of officers not otherwise covered by law.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8568f721-449c-4eb6-ac36-8b0ad43f38bc"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Written agreements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary and officers shall enter into
written agreements that describe the officers’ obligated service requirements
prescribed under paragraph (1) in return for such appointments, training,
promotions, separations, and retirements as the Secretary considers
appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id371be568-6b98-4d61-b630-c9b161c9217c"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Repayment for failure To satisfy
requirements</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5a041869-d7e8-4ab6-a16e-8ded8280564a"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may require an officer who
fails to meet the service requirements prescribed under subsection (a)(1) to
reimburse the Secretary in an amount that bears the same ratio to the total
costs of the training provided to that officer by the Secretary as the unserved
portion of active duty bears to the total period of active duty the officer
agreed to serve.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd544a580-fe2c-4873-8b32-b4c189978b57"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Obligation as debt to United
States</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An obligation to
reimburse the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be considered for all
purposes as a debt owed to the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfca30d5f-9181-4c59-a74c-84a82c9ef495"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Discharge in bankruptcy</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11
that is entered less than 5 years after the termination of a written agreement
entered into under subsection (a)(2) does not discharge the individual signing
the agreement from a debt arising under such agreement.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idee3a3b2d-19c1-43a1-a4df-788005e77b71"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Waiver or suspension of
compliance</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may
waive the service obligation of an officer who—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd0957029-855a-46c6-a15a-b4acfdd5e2bf"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">becomes unqualified to serve on active duty
in the commissioned officer corps of the Administration because of a
circumstance not within the control of that officer; or</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcb5fd4e5-069e-48d3-bec6-165455bf19ed"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5ee97710-927e-465f-8c7f-64f8e6ab0700"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">not physically qualified for appointment;
and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9a6db1e9-9690-4a46-8d60-186cc0d978e3"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">determined to be unqualified for service in
the commissioned officer corps of the Administration because of a physical or
medical condition that was not the result of the officer's own misconduct or
grossly negligent
conduct.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf1bfac44-7f57-446b-a2c0-353205a2ebb0"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 215 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8005071f-0d5c-4a9f-885c-07e52688374d" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 216. Obligated service
requirement.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc851a1f6-7884-4246-84ad-1ac25c22f14e" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>104.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Training and physical fitness</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbb2a8b27-67f9-461c-b43d-e2a3178ff40d"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle A (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3001">33 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.</external-xref>), as
amended by section 103(a), is further amended by adding at the end the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb2b83a1f-f420-44e0-be9b-16cd91e9484e" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id62991c60-7ab5-473b-ab7e-c5de53805fae" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>217.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Training and physical fitness</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2395e8b0-bd38-428b-bb3c-034c97bc223b"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Training</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may take such measures as may
be necessary to ensure that officers are prepared to carry out their duties in
the commissioned officer corps of the Administration and proficient in the
skills necessary to carry out such duties. Such measures may include the
following:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id29c2c85e-a5f0-4cff-851d-688a15c65c6c"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Carrying out training programs and
correspondence courses, including establishing and operating a basic officer
training program to provide initial indoctrination and maritime vocational
training for officer candidates as well as refresher training, mid-career
training, aviation training, and such other training as the Secretary considers
necessary for officer development and proficiency.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7d5e020c-c989-4634-85ef-a84ef83aea65"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Providing officers and officer candidates
with books and school supplies.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id59ff0dbc-1b76-412a-83d9-b4811092b23b"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Acquiring such equipment as may be
necessary for training and instructional purposes.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6f9ba729-3e23-4a49-936a-e01593908576"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Physical fitness</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall ensure that officers
maintain a high physical state of readiness by establishing standards of
physical fitness for officers that are substantially equivalent to those
prescribed for officers in the Coast
Guard.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6ebb8bc5-44c9-4621-bc63-88b2f10035fb"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>), as amended by
section 103(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 216 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id12d36b20-4a84-4adf-ac3d-75ee19c69623" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 217. Training and physical
fitness.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments and
promotion of officers</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id13e145fa-6239-4dcb-84f3-2d3f6e0dbcba" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>201.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idad79c0b0-1768-4ebf-91b8-e3c5fe05d501"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Original appointments</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id88a14c34-964a-410a-9da9-3e52a21cf84e"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 221 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3021">33 U.S.C. 3021</external-xref>) is amended to
read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id26e0b4ed-4868-41b6-84cd-b7e81914e99c" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb184bfc-8837-4d12-9e68-6f4e936ddaaf" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>221.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Original appointments and
reappointments</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1e04fb44-3f1a-44d2-8e42-c700cc0af2b7"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Original appointments</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide036fe2e-e0f9-4f13-b7fd-19c2efeb6911"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grades</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id50f15354-3642-4e09-961c-1e3574d4ffa9"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an
original appointment of an officer may be made in such grades as may be
appropriate for—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd04f1e71-68c7-4e67-af71-8307274a50b4"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the qualification, experience, and length
of service of the appointee; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4d8088e9-b454-4656-bcdd-f55655c6064e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb3f2b8af-12d5-4290-a3f0-18792da7bf4e"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointment of officer candidates</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id50336cfb-3785-4a47-97b7-72f8ccd6f6fa"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on grade</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An original appointment of an officer
candidate, upon graduation from the basic officer training program of the
commissioned officer corps of the Administration, may not be made in any other
grade than ensign.</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2aae852b-d9ac-460e-ad3f-951ac6caf81f"><enum>(ii)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rank</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidates receiving appointments
as ensigns upon graduation from basic officer training program shall take rank
according to their proficiency as shown by the order of their merit at date of
graduation.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb866a0f2-0ba8-4916-a4bd-569888cf6882"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Source of appointments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An original appointment may be made from
among the following:</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id731d055a-f707-4065-80c0-413ab4d9c716"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Graduates of the basic officer training
program of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb6a711ea-139f-42c7-a8e6-63d63b1bf010"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Graduates of the military service academies
of the United States who otherwise meet the academic standards for enrollment
in the training program described in subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6f4ba37b-5774-45df-9c50-eb4673fa0c17"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Licensed officers of the United States
merchant marine who have served 2 or more years aboard a vessel of the United
States in the capacity of a licensed officer, who otherwise meet the academic
standards for enrollment in the training program described in subparagraph
(A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id81687db6-1ce8-418b-b7f4-ff3155532373"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Military service academies of the United
States defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this
subsection, the term <term>military service academies of the United
States</term> means the following:</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide5120e95-7ee1-43cf-9057-3df2539e4aa0"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Military Academy, West
Point, New York.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfe2b43bb-154b-47b8-8ef0-bf9d79c58344"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Naval Academy, Annapolis,
Maryland.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbe152ae8-fbee-4dab-ac4d-dcddb5addadb"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Air Force Academy,
Colorado Springs, Colorado.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idda1382a1-2c7b-480c-b1b0-fcf4d7807dc3"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Coast Guard Academy, New
London, Connecticut.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5e22d2c8-2935-475c-85ac-566c1bfe8b09"><enum>(E)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Merchant Marine Academy,
Kings Point, New York.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id260c5dbb-2cd5-4116-89f2-5ad481af9b5f"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Reappointment</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5558e0d2-b595-4629-8c26-c25ef6328232"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in paragraph (2), an
individual who previously served in the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration may be appointed by the Secretary to the grade the individual
held prior to separation.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5e90113f-284d-4b77-a228-acc8de071234"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Reappointments to higher
grades</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An appointment under
paragraph (1) to a position of importance and responsibility designated under
section 228 may only be made by the President.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id735d9251-c6b0-467a-92fb-5bc0aafd52f5"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Qualifications</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An appointment under subsection (a) or (b)
may not be given to an individual until the individual's mental, moral,
physical, and professional fitness to perform the duties of an officer has been
established under such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfe3c0566-e57f-4f15-a102-b02853f4e178"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Precedence of appointees</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointees under this section shall take
precedence in the grade to which appointed in accordance with the dates of
their commissions as commissioned officers in such grade. Appointees whose
dates of commission are the same shall take precedence with each other as the
Secretary shall determine.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbebd7914-404b-4781-8879-b519d9c0a0b9"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Inter-Service transfers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For inter-service transfers (as described
in the Department of Defense Directive 1300.4 (dated December 27, 2006)) the
Secretary shall—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id615c8a51-f302-4a35-9bac-01cd0fe526ee"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">coordinate with the Secretary of Defense
and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to
promote and streamline inter-service transfers;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idde9130d6-905b-4894-ae94-6fc857b2ff08"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">give preference to such inter-service
transfers for recruitment purposes as determined appropriate by the Secretary;
and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id63114f6c-0f3a-4997-8310-c9af33546d26"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">reappoint such inter-service transfers to
the equivalent grade in the commissioned officer
corps.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb608b39b-d87c-48f2-8928-83cb14e0150b"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
striking the item relating to section 221 and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide5919c24-84d7-485c-b1ef-5b222802565b" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 221. Original appointments
and
reappointments.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9118f3f8-cd61-4ca1-aa43-e0e099197e29" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>202.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Personnel boards</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 222 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3022">33 U.S.C. 3022</external-xref>) is amended to
read as follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5192137c-b198-4fb8-b641-6a3528372d0e" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcf1ad030-4352-485a-af49-9d77c3d16ba7" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>222.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Personnel boards</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide3025ca4-8864-4c57-bb7f-75ff1930e290"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Convening</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not less frequently than once each year and
at such other times as the Secretary determines necessary, the Secretary shall
convene a personnel board.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7e3d816d-bc5f-44ed-b245-27f4df2890f9"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Membership</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb00cb5d-faaa-4c3f-b62c-11822c0002cc"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A board convened under subsection (a) shall
consist of 5 or more officers who are serving in or above the permanent grade
of the officers under consideration by the board.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id465f06fd-dd9c-457c-b555-d12c83bfb4d4"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Retired officers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officers on the retired list may be
recalled to serve on such personnel boards as the Secretary considers
necessary.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id953b4a44-ccbf-452e-9277-513151de2052"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">No membership on 2 successive
boards</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No officer may be a
member of 2 successive personnel boards convened to consider officers of the
same grade for promotion or separation.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4e63bf9e-893c-4e56-bbc9-b53e3dccb2a1"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Duties</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each personnel board shall—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id54b5efc2-693d-4b73-a107-234859da7d06"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">recommend to the Secretary such changes as
may be necessary to correct any erroneous position on the lineal list that was
caused by administrative error; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb335f9db-361e-4e99-be27-632149e79197"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">make selections and recommendations to the
Secretary and the President for the appointment, promotion, involuntary
separation, continuation, and involuntary retirement of officers in the
commissioned officer corps of the Administration as prescribed in this
title.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc00171f9-fe71-40cc-b783-40fd40193414"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Action on recommendations not
acceptable</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If any
recommendation by a board convened under subsection (a) is not accepted by the
Secretary or the President, the board shall make such further recommendations
as the Secretary or the President consider
appropriate.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc8af1f3a-8f69-462d-bd0d-b37310f07d6c" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>203.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Delegation of
authority for appointments and promotions to permanent grades</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 226 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3026">33 U.S.C. 3026</external-xref>) is
amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id95e8a0ac-1237-49f0-8f7f-12c99cf07bfa"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking <quote>Appointments</quote> and
inserting the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida1af10f1-340d-410e-ae32-df8edd245336" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id83f52600-9629-435c-8227-ef9f22885ec2"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaf0fe78b-5db4-4e51-b6c3-f1045910fecb"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0e9fcc7a-8b76-46a6-8b2a-dc0e670640a0" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9c748d38-c2eb-4f13-835c-da2345b8ea26"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Delegation of appointment
authority</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the President
delegates authority to the Secretary to make appointments under this section,
the President shall, during a period in which the position of the Secretary is
vacant, delegate such authority to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce or the
Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere during such
period.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4b6c58c2-4966-475b-b45e-19c513d58a8b" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>204.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Temporary appointments</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA6CE489B876B4C44B31A3BE100769644"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 229 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3029">33 U.S.C. 3029</external-xref>) is amended to read as
follows:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id853eae80-6c9a-473d-8d76-20af76d4871f" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c780c6e-b259-4da9-ab11-912678ac31c5" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>229.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Temporary appointments</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id45ab2ef7-5118-4753-833d-88f7824a9bdd"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments by President</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Temporary appointments in the grade of
ensign, lieutenant junior grade, or lieutenant may be made by the
President.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3fd2866d-e8ef-4dc0-b2fe-e08bbc4f2918"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Termination</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A temporary appointment to a position under
subsection (a) shall terminate upon approval of a permanent appointment for
such position made by the President.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id41573f79-9401-4fe8-9fa9-18ab1477dbf3"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Order of precedence</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointees under subsection (a) shall take
precedence in the grade to which appointed in accordance with the dates of
their appointments as officers in such grade. The order of precedence of
appointees who are appointed on the same date shall be determined by the
Secretary.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc9ad4bb5-86c2-4e91-a83b-92c30f6ddcb0"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Any one grade</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">When determined by the Secretary to be in
the best interest of the commissioned officer corps, officers in any permanent
grade may be temporarily promoted one grade by the President. Any such
temporary promotion terminates upon the transfer of the officer to a new
assignment.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id50539ff7-f0a3-4af1-8296-e8f954f5d1a3"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Delegation of
appointment authority</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the
President delegates authority to the Secretary to make appointments under this
section, the President shall, during a period in which the position of the
Secretary is vacant, delegate such authority to the Deputy Secretary of
Commerce or the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere during such
period.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc516aa9e-dd3a-41c7-914c-628903261b74"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
striking the item relating to section 229 and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id68cdef1b-a5fa-4177-9c77-2ca5229c50e0" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 229. Temporary
appointments.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.
</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida3a303e1-10a6-4da4-b6cf-68e90365a935" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>205.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidates</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3eb7181c-3746-4fe2-84a8-05a3968bd651"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle B (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3021">33 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.</external-xref>) is
amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id973daed5-a0ce-432e-a580-33179a905da1" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfc97169c-b667-41a2-8d14-9682aa337c5b" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>234.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidates</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id86890ba4-3861-4265-8118-af4bfa3be02a"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Determination of number</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall determine the number of
appointments of officer candidates.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida0582da3-5d1c-432f-8f55-bcf4d74f7377"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointment of officer candidates shall be
made under regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, including
regulations with respect to determining age limits, methods of selection of
officer candidates, term of service as an officer candidate before graduation
from the program, and all other matters affecting such appointment.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id23592b86-28cb-4f5b-8975-59488522129e"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Dismissal</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may dismiss from the basic
officer training program of the Administration any officer candidate who,
during the officer candidate's term as an officer candidate, the Secretary
considers unsatisfactory in either academics or conduct, or not adapted for a
career in the commissioned officer corps of the Administration. Officer
candidates shall be subject to rules governing discipline prescribed by the
Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned
Officer Corps.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id520bea9e-f115-46ac-961d-10754f294111"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Agreement</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id46857177-89a3-47f0-83ac-3b7c1d0765b9"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each officer candidate shall sign an
agreement with the Secretary in accordance with section 216(a)(2) regarding the
officer candidate's term of service in the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6afd8503-1a5e-4a6a-b21a-289cff1e1146"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Elements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An agreement signed by an officer candidate
under paragraph (1) shall provide that the officer candidate agrees to the
following:</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddf9adb7c-15fe-43ff-ae4c-6659530fc380"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">That the officer candidate will complete
the course of instruction at the basic officer training program of the
Administration.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf112823f-d236-4005-8945-1769e1cb916c"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">That upon graduation from the such program,
the officer candidate—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5af1366-1d4a-4ee9-8783-30e7ebe04ac5"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">will accept an appointment, if tendered, as
an officer; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3f306036-1df3-4457-8a57-d289836efc9d"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">will serve on active duty for at least 4
years immediately after such appointment.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb0b1188c-cf97-4639-8559-c3b14932d1ec"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Regulations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prescribe regulations
to carry out this section. Such regulations shall include—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbe272dda-3db8-48da-842b-95c21236d610"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">standards for determining what constitutes
a breach of an agreement signed under such subsection (d)(1); and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id335f1c67-f6b9-4744-8fdb-808f0561f230"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">procedures for determining whether such a
breach has occurred.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id606287db-186f-4ccb-a7a9-614339e9b703"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Repayment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer candidate or former officer
candidate who does not fulfill the terms of the obligation to serve as
specified under section (d) shall be subject to the repayment provisions of
section
216(b).</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id37760f96-194b-421c-ab76-e68720dffc8a"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 233 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id21d7fdec-2133-49f2-8197-ceb0ce029a96" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 234. Officer
candidates.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc9e8e5db-7e65-48b3-a117-8847038ae18e"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidate defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 212(b) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3002">33 U.S.C. 3002(b)</external-xref>) is
amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5687094c-48dd-494a-8d24-3941a0fb6888"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6)
as paragraphs (5) through (7), respectively; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id98822ac6-2c26-454d-bf77-f6c06a906723"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (3) the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2cd37ca5-6df6-4e93-96e9-2565a289a208" style="OLC"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd71494c0-98e5-410b-8996-acf9bf82f11c"><enum>(4)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidate</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>officer candidate</term>
means an individual who is enrolled in the basic officer training program of
the Administration and is under consideration for appointment as an officer
under section
221(a)(2)(A).</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idad71b60c-9161-4225-8dd2-baba1ba9d081"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Pay for officer candidates</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/37/203">Section 203</external-xref> of title 37, United States
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3b606971-7193-4fae-af9f-a816dc65c7e6" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id162ddb2d-3bb9-42cb-b57d-6fef76e0b579"><enum>(f)</enum><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id0b586c56-7845-45f9-9411-ea35f07c23bf"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer candidate enrolled in the basic
officer training program of the commissioned officer corps of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is entitled, while participating in such
program, to monthly officer candidate pay at monthly rate equal to the basic
pay of an enlisted member in the pay grade E–5 with less than 2 years
service.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id02db249a-c947-439d-bc04-eb6bd71e7873" indent="up1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An individual who graduates from such
program shall receive credit for the time spent participating in such program
as if such time were time served while on active duty as a commissioned
officer. If the individual does not graduate from such program, such time shall
not be considered creditable for active duty or
pay.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8b225cfc-94f5-4d71-9d27-97f727aef165" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>206.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Procurement of
personnel</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id887e3d39-7137-48c7-888c-fc8bfc7f96fa"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle B (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3021">33 U.S.C. 3021 et seq.</external-xref>), as
amended by section 205(a), is further amended by adding at the end the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfd2f0d97-4e9d-46ba-85c2-40118569d4ed" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd9041737-8aaf-4903-a023-d143f2537122" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>235.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Procurement of
personnel</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary may
make such expenditures as the Secretary considers necessary in order to obtain
recruits for the commissioned officer corps of the Administration, including
advertising.</text></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id604fba76-4cfb-42e0-9237-40d9a7d44937"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical
amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the Act entitled
<quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement Act of 1998,
and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>), as amended by section
205(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 234
the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf03198da-7fcf-4953-84ff-f18fa79f2445" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">235. Procurement of
personnel.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><enum>III</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Separation and
retirement of officers</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc850f966-a705-4b35-8338-80ac11dc753f" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>301.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Involuntary retirement or
separation</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 241 (33
U.S.C. 3041) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7337680d-2a18-4907-9a77-428715ecd918" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf61d4f57-c2a8-47bb-a866-5dd07622df46"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Deferment of retirement or separation for
medical reasons</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfc8ca855-542d-402c-aa9a-a14bbecb553a"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary determines that the
evaluation of the medical condition of an officer requires hospitalization or
medical observation that cannot be completed with confidence in a manner
consistent with the officer's well being before the date on which the officer
would otherwise be required to retire or be separated under this section, the
Secretary may defer the retirement or separation of the officer.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id69709cb1-7f9f-4efd-8bd1-1b2986b87e59"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Consent required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A deferment may only be made with the
written consent of the officer involved. If the officer does not provide
written consent to the deferment, the officer shall be retired or separated as
scheduled.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id331d6f15-2312-447e-8189-6737a74eacbe"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A deferral of retirement or separation
under this subsection may not extend for more than 30 days after completion of
the evaluation requiring hospitalization or medical
observation.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8d7b2345-0cd5-4e55-9b7f-e57573fa674f" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>302.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Separation
pay</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 242 (33 U.S.C.
3042) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide1d723d7-01ae-4623-8e30-ef59c7bacd96" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddea30e80-d5fb-4bd1-bb60-61ece4dc41d7"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Exception</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer discharged for twice failing
selection for promotion to the next higher grade is not entitled to separation
pay under this section if the officer—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaceda1af-c194-45ec-9fea-4df42f58fa4a"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">expresses a desire not to be selected for
promotion; or</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id06330e07-b59d-4a7a-8919-9943efe334d1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">requests removal from the list of
selectees.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></section><enum>IV</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rights and
benefits</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id602dbebb-6016-4443-a6df-f2c1e1ca7d18" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>401.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Education loan repayment program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide5f0a509-d99a-4c97-aef4-6e4da273cf0d"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle E (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071 et seq.</external-xref>) is
amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida45b3586-da39-4df1-a735-46b91c4f75c4" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7f2d45a1-8ce8-439e-b5cf-d07800c151ef" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>267.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Education loan repayment program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf241529c-205b-4b6f-b3e1-4a1bc775dfae"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authority To repay education
loans</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For the purpose of
maintaining adequate numbers of officers of the commissioned officer corps of
the Administration on active duty who have skills required by the commissioned
officer corps, the Secretary may repay, in the case of a person described in
subsection (b), a loan that—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id356f7236-7658-41dc-a42c-d4a7aa7a6131"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">was used by the person to finance
education; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idffd37095-e38d-4d4b-92dc-67a89aaedd6b"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">was obtained from a governmental entity,
private financial institution, educational institution, or other authorized
entity.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida4a02abd-260d-430d-8398-4b85400fd2ef"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligible persons</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">To be eligible to obtain a loan repayment
under this section, a person must—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb650615e-beff-47e0-9628-4b2cfd21f8b4"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">satisfy 1 of the requirements specified in
subsection (c);</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id37417a17-fc16-4c46-9436-9a61d395078d"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">be fully qualified for, or hold, an
appointment as a commissioned officer in the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idab3a50ce-e619-4dd9-b9eb-98475f19d9d3"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">sign a written agreement to serve on active
duty, or, if on active duty, to remain on active duty for a period in addition
to any other incurred active duty obligation.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id95bd420c-c219-4f55-a020-47f0d0e7a386"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Academic and professional
requirements</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">One of the
following academic requirements must be satisfied for purposes of determining
the eligibility of an individual for a loan repayment under this
section:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7f3cce25-5eca-4e7b-a080-8616f459f768"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The person is fully qualified in a
profession that the Secretary has determined to be necessary to meet identified
skill shortages in the commissioned officer corps.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id373cc37d-c65b-4c06-b9b8-0896af71197e"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The person is enrolled as a full-time
student in the final year of a course of study at an accredited educational
institution (as determined by the Secretary of Education) leading to a degree
in a profession that will meet identified skill shortages in the commissioned
officer corps.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc491547e-d73b-404a-ab43-d0a682e7c5ee"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Loan repayments</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6c147646-45d8-4b4b-a6e3-b81fc97b5082"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to the limits established under
paragraph (2), a loan repayment under this section may consist of the payment
of the principal, interest, and related expenses of a loan obtained by a person
described in subsection (b).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id09ba7781-74db-476d-8a55-8d0e2a5fc116"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on amount</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For each year of obligated service that a
person agrees to serve in an agreement described in subsection (b)(3), the
Secretary may pay not more than the amount specified in section 2173(e)(2) of
title 10, United States Code.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2423ed27-ddaf-4504-9086-7fb3862fd049"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Active duty service obligation</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide4089b4b-3e62-4a42-b018-2742f92f3d69"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A person entering into an agreement
described in subsection (b)(3) incurs an active duty service obligation.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id994acaf9-1520-4fda-8822-db1fd58ca96e"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Length of obligation determined under
regulations</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd236eb5e-5ac8-42ac-8fc2-3b7ceb63f1b3"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the
length of the obligation under paragraph (1) shall be determined under
regulations prescribed by the Secretary.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id41152bec-bb6f-4abe-a9f2-98c27ad65968"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Minimum obligation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The regulations prescribed under
subparagraph (A) may not provide for a period of obligation of less than 1 year
for each maximum annual amount, or portion thereof, paid on behalf of the
person for qualified loans.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id42e0c4e9-cc09-4023-bcce-091c380603aa"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Persons on active duty before entering into
agreement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The active duty
service obligation of persons on active duty before entering into the agreement
shall be served after the conclusion of any other obligation incurred under the
agreement.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id46939ec8-94a6-4609-9611-9ce4c8b4c177"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Effect of failure To complete
obligation</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id42381e4b-1636-46be-865e-2058604c8690"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Alternative obligations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer who is relieved of the officer's
active duty obligation under this section before the completion of that
obligation may be given any alternative obligation, at the discretion of the
Secretary.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7938b4d4-e423-44e6-a697-5c47fc427477"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Repayment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer who does not complete the period
of active duty specified in the agreement entered into under subsection (b)(3),
or the alternative obligation imposed under paragraph (1), shall be subject to
the repayment provisions under section 216.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0f06170d-b4e1-41ac-8964-4f790cee6403"><enum>(g)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rulemaking</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prescribe regulations
to carry out this section, including—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5d6dd0f7-7a95-45d0-b611-ae4c57cb45df"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">standards for qualified loans and
authorized payees; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id05106d88-eba3-4b24-8976-1341f8f70c74"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">other terms and conditions for the making
of loan
repayments.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id011fb9e7-ccb3-4e66-ada3-8d225eedabaf"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 266 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8eb8381a-ba1e-4569-bc51-7b704cd227a2" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 267. Education loan
repayment
program.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddb31dec7-800c-49d2-b69a-9a9dee94a721" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>402.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Interest payment program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2ae1147a-00ff-4865-8997-fe6db6bc9c15"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle E (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071 et seq.</external-xref>), as
amended by section 401(a), is further amended by adding at the end the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3e4916bb-eaa2-462d-9a7f-8bb6f5d4247b" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id88a4f3f7-a086-48b3-a829-6c8f305d1f41" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>268.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Interest payment program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c2d88be-897c-4da0-83d7-b3249be135be"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authority</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may pay the interest and any
special allowances that accrue on 1 or more student loans of an eligible
officer, in accordance with this section.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcc79ae3e-c49f-47e0-a3d2-e72a84f1ecbe"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligible officers</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An officer is eligible for the benefit
described in subsection (a) while the officer—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5781714c-2716-4f1a-8948-dbdb3bf031f2"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is serving on active duty;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3a10aa69-5c98-4755-86ac-84310a25a095"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">has not completed more than 3 years of
service on active duty;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida964a526-8987-408e-aa88-8f79f28d710c"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is the debtor on 1 or more unpaid loans
described in subsection (c); and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idca3d28a1-5bc7-4031-916e-8823b16e87de"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is not in default on any such loan.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd9b19259-770f-4b51-acd7-49ebe5948696"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Student loans</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The authority to make payments under
subsection (a) may be exercised with respect to the following loans:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd7f1ae8a-11aa-49f7-bcbe-76d1a8ca9082"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loan made, insured, or guaranteed under
part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et
seq.).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24a49822-29dc-4413-a63c-eaf0a0a451fb"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loan made under part D of such title (20
U.S.C. 1087a et seq.).</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd723be73-3910-4174-9d9c-6461f634fade"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loan made under part E of such title (20
U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4ddf7225-de79-455c-a0ee-24e3a8c19ef2"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Maximum benefit</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Interest and any special allowance may be
paid on behalf of an officer under this section for any of the 36 consecutive
months during which the officer is eligible under subsection (b).</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idba71f867-0d68-4120-a3e4-b806de10f441"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Funds for payments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may use amounts appropriated
for the pay and allowances of personnel of the commissioned officer corps of
the Administration for payments under this section.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id44c74b29-bd4f-47e3-99fb-1aa705418107"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Coordination with Secretary of
Education</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf269aabd-7432-4695-90c0-16d0ae90d424"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall consult with the
Secretary of Education regarding the administration of this section.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida1ceb0a5-bb88-4c7f-b102-fc90950934f2"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Transfer of funds</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall transfer to the
Secretary of Education the funds necessary—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide2a38524-7c5a-4de8-ad3a-7797ce12561a"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to pay interest and special allowances on
student loans under this section (in accordance with sections 428(o), 455(l),
and 464(j) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1078">20 U.S.C. 1078(o)</external-xref>, 1087e(l),
and 1087dd(j)); and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2d5354ab-8885-4e0b-88bb-646535e3c645"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to reimburse the Secretary of Education for
any reasonable administrative costs incurred by the Secretary in coordinating
the program under this section with the administration of the student loan
programs under parts B, D, and E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1071">20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.</external-xref>, 1087a et seq., 1087aa et seq.).</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c09229b-02b3-4489-8d39-fe4bb9a11e5d"><enum>(g)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Special allowance defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>special
allowance</term> means a special allowance that is payable under section 438 of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1087–1).</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ideb4845ec-28ae-4aa8-84ac-9e361a27b67c"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Conforming amendments</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b449c9d-8ed4-4469-b483-8013a6ecb0e6"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 428(o) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1078">20 U.S.C. 1078(o)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd259708c-5372-4a09-b395-c77f49d27882"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking the subsection heading and
inserting <quote><header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">Armed Forces
and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Student Loan Interest Payment
Programs</header-in-text></quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc310be95-2af6-4281-82cb-2823aa9779cb"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfcbe5b00-3edc-475d-9877-3a27036185e2"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or section 264 of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act
of 2002</quote> after <quote>Code,</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida72e60e8-f1e8-48d6-a7a1-1694e0ab3527"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or an officer in the
commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, respectively,</quote> after <quote>Armed Forces</quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida9d958ab-287b-4d29-a2f1-1d890d525c39"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Sections 455(l) and 464(j) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1087e">20 U.S.C. 1087e(l)</external-xref> and 1087dd(j)) are each
amended—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2893181c-3584-48df-86ae-b60e32e05b16"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by striking the subsection heading and
inserting <quote><header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">Armed Forces
and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps Student Loan Interest Payment
Programs</header-in-text></quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfb035157-de18-43ea-936b-6b322c947147"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1)—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1cb5d98d-b21b-43f1-bbfe-8319813bbe07"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or section 264 of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act
of 2002</quote> after <quote>Code,</quote>; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb5430b72-d5e5-47fb-8db0-606805843bad"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or an officer in the
commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, respectively</quote> after <quote>Armed Forces</quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idaafebf2c-f210-4a7b-811f-f330a1ddf0b6"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>), as amended by
section 401(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 267 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idea369284-b445-4a98-ae42-e2f7d45db429" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 268. Interest payment
program.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4858f78f-491d-4e35-8dab-52b77b47a3b8" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>403.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Student pre-commissioning education
assistance program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0adab5b0-c63c-4ff3-b3d2-5365aeda32a2"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle E (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071 et seq.</external-xref>), as
amended by sections 401(a) and 402(a), is further amended by adding at the end
the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida8bf8d6f-97c4-4888-947a-e0493f65542c" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddeecbb60-a966-43b8-8e95-b6cdf6f4b459" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>269.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Student pre-commissioning education
assistance program</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5266632b-a7ac-4173-847e-47a0d9636ad9"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Authority To provide financial
assistance</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For the purpose of
maintaining adequate numbers of officers of the commissioned officer corps of
the Administration on active duty, the Secretary may provide financial
assistance to a person described in subsection (b) for expenses of the person
while the person is pursuing on a full-time basis at an accredited educational
institution (as determined by the Secretary of Education) a program of
education approved by the Secretary that leads to—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c44e615-1dc4-44fb-a346-17a48e198a6f"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a baccalaureate degree in not more than 5
academic years; or</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf909c05e-9554-431f-bae6-c99397481d2f"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a postbaccalaureate degree.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id647c0a07-17cb-4b81-8042-3af9d05c68a8"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligible persons</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2339a798-477c-42e0-ad0f-5d74c35576e0"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A person is eligible to obtain financial
assistance under subsection (a) if the person—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5699e289-141d-458f-ab99-97ada9f15728"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is enrolled on a full-time basis in a
program of education referred to in subsection (a) at any educational
institution described in such subsection;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5a8fcb80-0a59-4d62-9caa-302c95b5719a"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">meets all of the requirements for
acceptance into the commissioned officer corps of the Administration except for
the completion of a baccalaureate degree; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc80b4996-1748-453d-90d5-ad21d871f83d"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">enters into a written agreement with the
Secretary described in paragraph (2).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbae84508-2196-4b60-859c-fcb9a96f7f40"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Agreement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A written agreement referred to in
paragraph (1)(C) is an agreement between the person and the Secretary in which
the person agrees—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6b94ee48-b3ce-478e-ab36-ad39f4314f20"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">to accept an appointment as an officer, if
tendered; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7ef0b922-812d-4ccd-bd7b-546a81f01aaa"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">upon completion of the person's educational
program, agrees to serve on active duty, immediately after appointment,
for—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5016ce92-19c5-4b4d-9596-8d193a7861ca"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">up to 3 years if the person received less
than 3 years of assistance; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30d1c9bc-dab5-4692-bf38-a452c88e9685"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">up to 5 years if the person received at
least 3 years of assistance.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf45a2096-7a6f-4926-b2f9-e6aaeb9ff8c9"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Qualifying expenses</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Expenses for which financial assistance may
be provided under subsection (a) are the following:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf9842c9a-763d-4d00-85bd-72ac3645d88c"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Tuition and fees charged by the educational
institution involved.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c9ecc70-79e5-4295-af74-e6fb9d4cbf41"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The cost of books.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide67fec8a-6f1b-4dc7-9758-84a3e460de31"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of a program of education
leading to a baccalaureate degree, laboratory expenses.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef45fd96-5dd4-4d59-a007-7c32594738ca"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Such other expenses as the Secretary
considers appropriate.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc637cdd0-0091-4b71-b8c0-92ba23992286"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on amount</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prescribe the amount of
financial assistance provided to a person under subsection (a), which may not
exceed the amount specified in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/10/2173">section 2173(e)(2)</external-xref> of title 10, United States
Code, for each year of obligated service that a person agrees to serve in an
agreement described in subsection (b)(2).</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf3375c4d-3f27-434d-9aac-d1d9ed045a87"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Duration of assistance</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Financial assistance may be provided to a
person under subsection (a) for not more than 5 consecutive academic
years.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id69cefcbb-48cd-4f37-9b55-9f7048ce06f2"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsistence allowance</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1e0d4d0e-e637-4753-a1ee-20b4d50a2827"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A person who receives financial assistance
under subsection (a) shall be entitled to a monthly subsistence allowance at a
rate prescribed under paragraph (2) for the duration of the period for which
the person receives such financial assistance.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb6b621fa-3a72-4fbf-b74f-808a11dfa0e2"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Determination of amount</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall prescribe monthly rates
for subsistence allowance provided under paragraph (1), which shall be equal to
the amount specified in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/10/2144">section 2144(a)</external-xref> of title 10, United States Code.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf84584e5-17c0-467f-9532-ac19000f1cf9"><enum>(g)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Initial clothing allowance</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6905e3c3-6c4a-426f-838d-3e53e794fcfe"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Training</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may prescribe a sum which
shall be credited to each person who receives financial assistance under
subsection (a) to cover the cost of the person's initial clothing and equipment
issue.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5acef8fc-c068-4d7f-bb31-529eeb7d4777"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Upon completion of the program of education
for which a person receives financial assistance under subsection (a) and
acceptance of appointment in the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration, the person may be issued a subsequent clothing allowance
equivalent to that normally provided to a newly appointed officer.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2f678ed7-86b1-4788-b1b5-f4d083f905d7"><enum>(h)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Termination of financial
assistance</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id78cd71e4-e01e-4210-ba65-a4efe655cbc6"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall terminate the
assistance provided to a person under this section if—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8bc079a8-5ad6-494f-8cf5-65c8f54e2ddc"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the Secretary accepts a request by the
person to be released from an agreement described in subsection (b)(2);</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4a9913d6-b681-41c8-91e5-c6e2ebd306ea"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the misconduct of the person results in a
failure to complete the period of active duty required under the agreement;
or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcedce9df-9d4a-4844-b3e1-34d03d72279b"><enum>(C)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the person fails to fulfill any term or
condition of the agreement.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddb025153-d67e-41d4-a9e6-dc3636652675"><enum>(2)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Reimbursement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may require a person who
receives assistance described in subsection (c), (f), or (g) under an agreement
entered into under subsection (b)(1)(C) to reimburse the Secretary in an amount
that bears the same ratio to the total costs of the assistance provided to that
person as the unserved portion of active duty bears to the total period of
active duty the officer agreed to serve under the agreement.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8f5063a3-5dc8-40ee-b669-1a2ff8d2352e"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Waiver</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may waive the service
obligation of a person through an agreement entered into under subsection
(b)(1)(C) if the person—</text><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c4b9fd9-4f7f-46fc-b20c-137031c8bbc7"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">becomes unqualified to serve on active duty
in the commissioned officer corps of the Administration because of a
circumstance not within the control of that person; or</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id18e3fe37-fcfe-46a9-854c-33ffa9dcd12e"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5b85d1d6-9330-4661-9460-b03ac4ff9001"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">not physically qualified for appointment;
and</text></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b570db9-1f32-4df4-8442-e35273f7a600"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">determined to be unqualified for service in
the commissioned officer corps of the Administration because of a physical or
medical condition that was not the result of the person's own misconduct or
grossly negligent conduct.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc1152c59-e9ee-492e-a5eb-504b76b2d256"><enum>(4)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Obligation as debt to United
States</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An obligation to
reimburse the Secretary imposed under paragraph (2) is, for all purposes, a
debt owed to the United States.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id508e3494-c64e-40e9-9858-a252b82ca435"><enum>(5)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Discharge in bankruptcy</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11,
United States Code, that is entered less than 5 years after the termination of
a written agreement entered into under subsection (b)(1)(C) does not discharge
the person signing the agreement from a debt arising under such agreement or
under paragraph (2).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0284bec3-b03c-4c64-be71-9ebba3397f70"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Regulations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may promulgate such
regulations and orders as the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out this
section.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id23b3ad31-e162-4322-b2c3-00890bd5401b"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>), as amended by
section 402(c), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 268 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id70a77763-590a-42ab-a2bc-8e82f9378a6b" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 269. Student
pre-commissioning education assistance
program.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5fc83710-dc5e-4a3d-a035-6bfe547b6e07" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>404.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on educational
assistance</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2b4bfddb-8471-430a-9b23-37d365f79f5a"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal
year 2013, the Secretary of Commerce shall ensure that the total amount
expended by the Secretary under section 267 of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002 (as added by
section 401(a)), section 268 of such Act (as added by section 402(a)), and
section 269 of such Act (as added by section 403(a)) does not exceed the amount
by which—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida1510368-12a1-4478-946d-a56b2a8586b2"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the total amount the Secretary would pay in
that fiscal year to officer candidates under <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/37/203">section 203(f)(1)</external-xref> of title 37,
United States Code (as added by section 205(d)), if such section entitled
officers candidates to pay at monthly rates equal to the basic pay of a
commissioned officer in the pay grade O–1 with less than 2 years of service;
exceeds</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5565a255-3b22-4576-9afd-3f4408fee7ed"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the total amount the Secretary actually
pays in that fiscal year to officer candidates under section 203(f)(1) of such
title (as so added).</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc0a60a40-9c52-4a26-aed2-ba803613d388"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidate defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>officer
candidate</term> has the meaning given the term in section 212 of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Act of 2002
(<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3002">33 U.S.C. 3002</external-xref>), as added by section 205(c).</text></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c4af109-fe57-4f24-bfb3-8ff2f82b04dd" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>405.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Applicability of certain provisions of
title 10, United States Code</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 261(a) (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071(a)</external-xref>) is
amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id85f45bd3-85af-4862-aa52-469364f93d9b"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (13) through
(16) as paragraphs (20) through (23), respectively;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idca0e9c7e-1b33-493b-9c72-9c8962cfd64f"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (7) through
(12) as paragraphs (12) through (17), respectively;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7b6748f8-8ba1-4ed4-a1d6-96bf9bd6ce4c"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (6)
as paragraphs (8) through (10), respectively;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0b86c49b-d1a5-4f4c-81e0-9e5c6fdb2f74"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (3) the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2dc6df2c-6062-427a-808e-12c36046f4a7" style="OLC"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb93ee5a5-03f0-48ed-83be-ddc863f5f735"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 771, relating to unauthorized
wearing of uniforms.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcb19fd9f-6fe7-4c66-8404-bc798fe7d338"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 774, relating to wearing religious
apparel while in uniform.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0f226c34-b583-463c-9f3e-9f518ce2b0a5"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 982, relating to service on State
and local juries.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5e87af0b-6c67-4935-b20d-2f3b7bb41a4f"><enum>(7)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1031, relating to administration of
oaths.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2ad048cf-610f-421a-81bb-f708ebdc9a61"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (10), as
redesignated, the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddc2b66c2-2b91-4e06-97e4-dc33d96eed0c" style="OLC"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida552869a-a387-474a-982a-3d6aee4b854a"><enum>(11)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Chapter 58, relating to the Benefits and
Services for members being separated or recently
separated.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;
and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf1fcd677-b456-4398-99b8-cdc9b7a9fbb5"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (17), as
redesignated, the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8d451a5b-ec3e-4759-817a-a1540d451d7e" style="OLC"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide4f8c641-e20d-422f-8cca-c21e6b458cbb"><enum>(18)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subchapter I of chapter 88, relating to
Military Family Programs.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id11db1e58-4c88-4616-a7f1-87d309b02b54"><enum>(19)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 2005, relating to advanced
education assistance, active duty agreements, and reimbursement
requirements.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id706459a2-46fe-432d-a9d4-4a2cb05762c8" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>406.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Applicability of certain provisions of
title 37, United States Code</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id32b52718-ae28-41cb-bef7-d42965d2ed82"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle E (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071 et seq.</external-xref>) is
amended by inserting after section 261 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide6642d78-66ad-49ec-9ea9-86262762da1c" style="OLC"><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb993576d-375a-4a35-8533-d95d5c4bcc96" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>261A.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Applicability of certain provisions of
title 37, United States Code</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ideedf1b53-f52c-42ad-b328-055732203520"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Provisions made applicable to commissioned
officer corps</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The provisions
of law applicable to the Armed Forces under the following provisions of title
37, United States Code, shall apply to the commissioned officer corps of the
Administration:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id48e80455-31e5-40af-948e-a59c56069883"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 324, relating to accession bonuses
for new officers in critical skills.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id018d84d3-a477-4d4e-a3b9-124abc2134c9"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 403(f)(3), relating to prescribing
regulations defining the terms <term>field duty</term> and <term>sea
duty</term>.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd816c025-2a7e-45f2-9e91-b48be662b6d1"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 403(l), relating to temporary
continuation of housing allowance for dependents of members dying on active
duty.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id834c0ada-7d7d-4fa4-a8a5-aee05862b6e5"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 414(a)(2), relating to personal
money allowance while serving as Director of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0bb31f2a-dae6-4ef7-be6d-fcad86d0fba3"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 488, relating to allowances for
recruiting expenses.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id12dfc8b2-8937-4727-9b2e-2103af9fd246"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 495, relating to allowances for
funeral honors duty.</text></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id894a824e-4b5e-4682-a4a3-465740b0b17b"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">References</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The authority vested by title 37, United
States Code, in the <quote>military departments</quote>, <quote>the Secretary
concerned</quote>, or <quote>the Secretary of Defense</quote> with respect to
the provisions of law referred to in subsection (a) shall be exercised, with
respect to the commissioned officer corps of the Administration, by the
Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary's
designee.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf21ddca9-54fa-4dd5-9fc1-2f49dcc5e8f0"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of sections in section 1 of the
Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement
Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 261 the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7eeaefbe-d0f6-4eab-8b89-af897337b06f" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 261A. Applicability of
certain provisions of title 37, United States
Code.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1a7f5293-5f31-4447-a081-4f2b47fd2af4" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>407.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Application of certain provisions of
competitive service law</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/5/3304">Section 3304(f)</external-xref> of title 5, United States
Code, is amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id44ad5c84-d8b9-4b44-9f53-62fb7f9cb4d6"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1), by inserting <quote>and
members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (or its predecessor organization the Coast and
Geodetic Survey) separated from such uniformed service</quote> after
<quote>separated from the armed forces</quote>;</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5c51b107-7741-429c-a52f-392b796c73a8"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (2), by striking <quote>or
veteran</quote> and inserting <quote>, veteran, or member</quote>; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id814cde2d-14ea-4ae6-9a44-aea89ed511ff"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (4), by inserting <quote>and
members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (or its predecessor organization the Coast and
Geodetic Survey) separated from such uniformed service</quote> after
<quote>separated from the armed forces</quote>.</text></paragraph></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idacd5ac4a-a206-4874-8b05-4a24716e150b" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>408.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligibility of all members of uniformed
services for Legion of Merit award</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/10/1121">Section 1121</external-xref> of title 10, United States
Code, is amended by striking <quote>armed forces</quote> and inserting
<quote>uniformed services</quote>.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida28592dc-2282-48bb-8a91-f76df69ee0f7" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>409.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Application of Employment and Reemployment
Rights of Members of the Uniformed Services to members of commissioned officer
corps</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 4303(16) of
title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting <quote>the commissioned
officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,</quote>
after <quote>Public Health Service,</quote>.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id966af2a6-6082-4169-9d0a-2ada7a407ddf" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>410.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Protected communications for commissioned
officer corps and prohibition of retaliatory personnel actions</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb2ad1804-2eec-4877-8469-b489fc7773aa"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (a) of section 261 (33 U.S.C.
3071), as amended by section 405, is further amended—</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0314a95d-9a71-4ef1-9c29-b284e08287af"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (8) through
(23) as paragraphs (9) through (24), respectively; and</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd2a67e78-70ed-464a-b35e-13bb56415378"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (7) the
following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id02a4a2cd-af94-4807-9a47-b9910c403f8d" style="OLC"><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc35385b6-276d-4ac6-9af5-a22319d2cf7b"><enum>(8)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1034, relating to protected
communications and prohibition of retaliatory personnel
actions.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf8cbc7a2-0f6f-4be5-b6ec-185a8373c3c0"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Conforming amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (b) of such section is amended
by adding at the end the following: <quote>For purposes of paragraph (8) of
subsection (a), the term <quote>Inspector General</quote> in section 1034 of
such title 10 shall mean the Inspector General of the Department of
Commerce.</quote>.</text></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf2aa8bd5-805b-4e45-a6e9-f4223b2d72bb" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>411.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Criminal penalties for wearing uniform
without authority</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 702
of title 18, United States Code, is amended by striking <quote>Service or
any</quote> and inserting <quote>Service, the commissioned officer corps of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or any</quote>.</text></section><section id="id1577845BCFB847BBA6F45C0F947CFF45"><enum>412.</enum><header>Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for purposes of certain hiring decisions</header><subsection id="id0B19816CEB9A4397A59861B88BB68E19"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subtitle E (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071 et seq.</external-xref>), as amended by this title, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6675A496557B498786714B794436332D" style="OLC"><section id="idC32CE564E56F4D3DA894527B9E74FEB6"><enum>269A.</enum><header>Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in Administration for purposes of certain hiring decisions</header><subsection id="idDE74975C06554E338F2C824E95B60CC7"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In any case in which the Secretary accepts an application for a position of employment with the Administration and limits consideration of applications for such position to applications submitted by individuals serving in a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service within the Administration, the Secretary shall deem an officer who has served as an officer in the commissioned officer corps for at least 3 years to be serving in a career or career-conditional position in the competitive service within the Administration for purposes of such limitation.</text></subsection><subsection id="idBB0C0790D529482090AA5D5CA3C4E100"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Career appointments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Secretary selects an application submitted by an officer described in subsection (a) for a position described in such subsection, the Secretary shall give such officer a career or career-conditional appointment in the competitive service, as appropriate.</text></subsection><subsection id="idB00EA2DEBB314FFEA43B8D2067CBE81B"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Competitive service defined</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section, the term <term>competitive service</term> has the meaning given the term in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/5/2102">section 2102</external-xref> of title 5, United States Code.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="idACB7ADE54A034248A6F022C6DBDB8A89"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Service Improvement Act of 1998, and for other purposes</quote> (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/107/372">Public Law 107–372</external-xref>) is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 269, as added by this title, the following new item:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idFC81A38C5A9F476CBA97E5C42CBF53C9" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 269A. Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in Administration for purposes of certain hiring decisions.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section><enum>V</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Other matters</header><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc4e4c522-b4de-49ec-820c-904ea7e8f926" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>501.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Technical correction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline"><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/38/101">Section 101(21)(C)</external-xref> of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by inserting <quote>in the commissioned officer
corps</quote> before <quote>of the National</quote>.</text></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8cb7af01-d752-4fb2-9c9d-21c3b86fa1c4" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>502.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Report</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id56bb77b2-c5ed-49ca-8388-e50c990bf23a"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to Congress a
report evaluating the current status and projected needs of the commissioned
officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to operate
sufficiently through fiscal year 2017.</text></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8a114281-0032-4de2-8abb-ec490cacb70f"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Contents</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The report required by subsection (a) shall
include the following:</text><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida6bba379-41ec-4047-9469-7319a7c126a3"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The average annual attrition rate of
officers in the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id33a5407b-d66e-4520-9119-477e775bc038"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An estimate of the number of annual
recruits that would reasonably be required to operate the commissioned officer
corps sufficiently through fiscal year 2017.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id499b33ab-e7bd-43d1-9acb-4a72cc21ae94"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The projected impact of this Act on annual
recruitment numbers through fiscal year 2017.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd9c6c4b1-b4cd-46c6-8b9f-a74935ff0697"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Identification of areas of duplication or
unnecessary redundancy in current activities of the commissioned officer corps
that could otherwise be streamlined or eliminated to save costs.</text></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3b44196f-d3b2-4144-8c26-f8ba8516230b"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Such other matters as the Secretary
considers appropriate regarding the provisions of this Act and the amendments
made by this Act.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd1ae0330-c310-46f4-9d1b-1401b31240a9" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>503.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Effective
date</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act, sections 101 through 411 shall take effect on the date
that is 90 days after the date on which the Secretary of Commerce submits to
Congress the report required by section 502(a).</text></section>Passed the Senate February 11, 2014.Secretary