116 S2981 IS: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps Amendments Act of 2019
U.S. Senate
2019-12-04
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 2019
. (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. Recalled officers.Sec. 103. Obligated service requirement.Sec. 104. Training and physical fitness.Sec. 105. Aviation accession training programs.Sec. 106. Recruiting materials.Sec. 107. Procurement of charting and survey services.Sec. 108. Technical correction.TITLE II—Parity and recruitmentSec. 201. Education loans.Sec. 202. Interest payments.Sec. 203. Student pre-commissioning program.Sec. 204. Limitation on educational assistance.Sec. 205. Applicability of certain provisions of title 10, United States Code, and extension of
certain authorities applicable to members of the Armed Forces to
commissioned officer corps.Sec. 206. Applicability of certain provisions of title 37, United States Code.Sec. 207. Prohibition on retaliatory personnel actions.Sec. 208. Application of certain provisions of competitive service law.Sec. 209. Employment and reemployment rights.Sec. 210. Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps for purposes of certain hiring
decisions.TITLE III—Appointments and promotion of officersSec. 301. Appointments.Sec. 302. Personnel boards.Sec. 303. Positions of importance and responsibility.Sec. 304. Temporary appointments.Sec. 305. Officer candidates.Sec. 306. Procurement of personnel.Sec. 307. Career intermission program.TITLE IV—Separation and retirement of officersSec. 401. Involuntary retirement or separation.Sec. 402. Separation pay.
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="idc2370d16-17e5-4873-bf6d-9688b986fd8a" 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 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3004">33 U.S.C. 3004</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id837b4b8a-3501-4cdb-8072-0629b8c38033" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8afdb805-60d2-4d28-a565-b7608f7295be" 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="idbae5d10f-8310-421f-bc1e-c26665a818f7"><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="id4a1d48cd-1ccb-48f5-b39d-b784ef6d5cd7"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Vice admiral.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0a1ba8ba-1fb2-4468-94ee-f9948bbaace1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rear admiral.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb2d7d5ee-a9b5-463a-a099-cc30824635f2"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Rear admiral (lower half).</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide8c69db7-1319-43d2-b313-8d89e697c1ae"><enum>(4)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Captain.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id28ddd982-e599-4e29-9a94-acb2b1b74838"><enum>(5)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Commander.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc268d51a-bea2-412b-bc21-93a57e90d9a6"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant commander.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id63c945c9-0303-4a91-9a3a-ae4e66a41b86"><enum>(7)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9795838b-e50a-4de8-be4e-a2a54c36c080"><enum>(8)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Lieutenant (junior grade).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida6908c8a-cd18-4cf8-be2f-f5e195b85259"><enum>(9)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Ensign.</text> </paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8ca3c446-cdfd-4eb5-8d03-efe267cb3adb"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grade distribution</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 set forth in subsection (a).</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id45ec1506-0b40-4fff-bd6f-8c0ec1b2ab3d"><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="id33e60b68-d21b-4168-9c93-5a37fdd1696f"><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="id0893e4f5-0abe-4141-8f86-14fd796b5ff3"><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="idc3e87862-b441-410b-82d7-0213c77aa6f9"><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="ide44d0fdd-2612-4eab-b1dd-ae0744ad8199"><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="id71f45a4f-1526-469b-84cd-00514a330a8a"><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="id62ba2c41-5e36-4ab0-a530-ea16264e7a95"><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="id25d971ed-2da8-4d4c-856c-3307dd7d829b" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>102.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Recalled officers</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idA387B7CF11BA47CCB4E7EB3F93F8DC83"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 215 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3005">33 U.S.C. 3005</external-xref>) is amended to read as follows:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id55CDA1A151BD4B5FA1A03CA87F640939" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id941738B2AF9E41FBBB5432455AD37BC2" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>215.</enum><header>Number of authorized commissioned officers</header> <subsection id="id5e6a44de7e2d4303a698baf22ca2d2e4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The total number of authorized commissioned officers on the lineal list of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration shall not exceed 500.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfbc890b8-acdd-4ff4-bfc0-b1eaf6c8f19a"><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 or detailed to an agency other than the Administration—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1a24c6ba-bde5-4ae6-9304-2c9ac7b360a7"><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="id468d5dfc-ede1-4b19-860f-77ab7015446d"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">may not count against such number.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idDF1CB6AF36E0466CAA885426CE6788D9"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 215 and inserting the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idC6B102D9C8F9474E812167E0422466FE" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 215. Number of authorized commissioned officers.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5ac33439-2bb4-467b-bc49-e956b01fbf0f" 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="id0d7b0d7f-7f5f-41db-a80d-6b34f2766d68"><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</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id38dbb42e-dc02-4295-ad61-3986a000429b" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id93bdc7ca-0685-4f09-ae10-4757adb89f2f" 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="id68ef7f43-7fe2-45f5-b734-e628fac36e54"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id355dd667-7250-40a4-9e55-d48757494a14"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Regulations</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="id50279ed0-fc5e-4e70-b465-63433d003b26"><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="idb0fe0c27-cd18-4aa9-8571-7ef7297c85f0"><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="id91cd85a6-4e5c-4d84-ae65-d9c77feefd68"><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="idaa0315e4-c290-427a-bd1b-f850cc3d5674"><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) is, for all purposes, a debt owed to the United States.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc1e0512a-e1da-44fc-986d-4c04d0d03b61"><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="iddb8d677d-ab3f-44f9-8cf3-b59728ee978b"><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="id17be5271-cff2-455a-a3fc-7041cf493369"><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="id4f5e2496-de93-4d34-8118-f34fa968e6e1"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is—</text> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide715a147-5bf3-4897-87ce-94add575cef9"><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="id41afcd44-d595-4e88-9983-138364c5e96d"><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="id32d73f2f-450f-45b6-86cb-d459bf27220d"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="id8c884624-f3c5-498f-a457-8cf2fb156c2f" 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="id82b36e88-438e-4617-84b4-d07fc1ea7014" 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="id2ad5e423-aab3-4eab-9fbc-08f86136f85c"><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</external-xref> et seq.), 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="idf02a8158-0ef4-4957-9818-d4b407a389f1" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id14ad0c26-272b-4c09-bed5-4a9da01f656a" 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="id9195e953-f7d2-40a1-b99d-0c43532044d0"><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="id87264f65-2bc6-41ce-aa7e-9288f574bcb1"><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="id0bba8e7f-391f-47b4-9dfa-d754946b7d95"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Providing officers and officer candidates with educational materials.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3f7b7724-8a18-43e5-bd7c-ba151e301707"><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="id7ae5aff4-6b1e-429b-9039-93daecd22d09"><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="id98eccb5b-4736-4cb8-98c9-3ff09d7b6474"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="id7126ef96-3d56-450a-9fb9-3b32e53068c9" 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><section id="S1" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>105.</enum><header>Aviation accession training programs</header>
<subsection id="idEC2FCC633066460E9EF7C4B958BE6B63"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subtitle A (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3001">33 U.S.C. 3001</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 104(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idAD752C0D3F5742B88E8DBB7A4BA32FCF" style="OLC">
<section id="idBEBA326717D7480DAC20AD58370F053E"><enum>218.</enum><header>Aviation accession training programs</header>
<subsection id="idf9b2a4e500af43419df3d40acb6a9ec6"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section:</text> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id103537B9520648EF822BC0B828E9D916"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Administrator</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>Administrator</term> means the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id0d5d539957984a2197ca5b8340f7940f"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Member of the program</header><text>The term <term>member of the program</term> means a student who is enrolled in the program.</text> </paragraph><paragraph id="idccabaa860dd64825b81acea7454c8c4c"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Program</header><text>The term <term>program</term> means an aviation accession training program of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration established pursuant to subsection (b).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id422FA70414B9427CA7772CE3F2CF89B1"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Aviation accession training programs</header>
<paragraph id="idA59B81FF85B04039B0FD0DABA6221416"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Establishment authorized</header><text>The Administrator, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, shall establish and maintain one or more aviation accession training programs for the commissioned officer corps of the Administration at institutions described in paragraph (2).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idEF54758E1E094114BAB647A17E6C0186"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Institutions described</header><text>An institution described in this paragraph is an educational institution—</text> <subparagraph id="id7F2ADE30C90542BCA0EFC0A15D5A2203"><enum>(A)</enum><text>that requests to enter into an agreement with the Administrator providing for the establishment of the program at the institution;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id9CCBBBAB50A74655B4FC02051C7DEEBB"><enum>(B)</enum><text>that has, as a part of its curriculum, a 4-year baccalaureate program of professional flight and piloting instruction that is accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id781106547A434267A98071556EED0DBB"><enum>(C)</enum><text>that is located—</text> <clause id="idD8FA412680264895B237C3FAEC610FD7"><enum>(i)</enum><text>not more than 250 miles from the National Weather Service Training Center; and</text>
</clause><clause id="idE95DC621505648DC8D132485C32EEE00"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in a geographic area that—</text> <subclause id="idC1E016D3FA56405AAD59BE766AAF4319"><enum>(I)</enum><text>experiences a wide variation in climate-related activity, including frequent high winds, convective activity (including tornadoes), periods of low visibility, heat, and snow and ice episodes, to provide opportunities for pilots to demonstrate skill in all weather conditions compatible with future encounters during their service in the commissioned officer corps; and</text>
</subclause><subclause id="idDB935DC5223E41D5A043E867747837DA"><enum>(II)</enum><text>has a climate that can accommodate both primary and advanced flight training activity at least 75 percent of the year; and</text>
</subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idEBF0B1B1096C4A3BB8BEDCC9EB29BB3D"><enum>(D)</enum><text>at which the Administrator determines that—</text>
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idC7EB796B31184ABF8C21952600D59CDD"><enum>(i)</enum><text>there will be at least 1 student enrolled in the program; and</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD5839B111CCE43D3B8E6FC919DEBB34C"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the provisions of this section are otherwise satisfied.</text> </clause></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id089688450D6F41DEA1A9437A051A2006"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Limitations in connection with particular institutions</header><text>The program may not be established or maintained at an institution unless—</text>
<subparagraph id="id64B47AEF56CB436C89F7745C50F8A54E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the senior commissioned officer or employee of the commissioned officer corps who is assigned as an advisor to the program at that institution is given the academic rank of adjunct professor; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id7D44BA031DF843EB8BAB39500B64DEAC"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the institution fulfills the terms of its agreement with the Administrator.</text> </subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="idC4BEE45FD8364501B6CB2565120C1F3E"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Membership in connection with status as student</header><text>At institutions at which the program is established, the membership of students in the program shall be elective, as provided by State law or the authorities of the institution concerned.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idDAEBBC8C5DAF463BA0865AFD157EA23E"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Membership</header>
<paragraph id="id803BC13ECBD94535B54DC6FB82930EF6"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Eligibility</header><text>To be eligible for membership in the program an individual must—</text> <subparagraph id="idC8F12FC55F5A43A9A47E633AB888274E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>be a student at an institution at which the program is established;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF58F385569DF4A6D8E93972F6849C216"><enum>(B)</enum><text>be a citizen of the United States;</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="id394E1DDD91104F22A0059FD8062A7E0D"><enum>(C)</enum><text>contract in writing, with the consent of a parent or guardian if a minor, with the Administrator, to—</text>
<clause id="id0511D4D7502140869D133D31FCDA3DC5"><enum>(i)</enum><text>accept an appointment, if offered, as a commissioned officer in the commissioned officer corps of the Administration; and</text>
</clause><clause id="idCC6FC82EF3B9465EA5EADE910D34FA46"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>to serve in the commissioned officer corps for not fewer than 4 years;</text> </clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="id7C1DA34FDA2F478FB60C1C9389B77918"><enum>(D)</enum><text>enroll in—</text>
<clause commented="no" id="idEEA8A9822A03404C8C62C0563639F6E2"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a 4-year baccalaureate program of professional flight and piloting instruction; and</text> </clause><clause commented="no" id="idF4E566AF6A0E4DCA9ACEBC7C17ADA307"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>other training or education, including basic officer training, which is prescribed by the Administrator as meeting the preliminary requirement for admission to the commissioned officer corps; and</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idF200F6547610471392EDF3E82224552A"><enum>(E)</enum><text>execute a certificate or take an oath relating to morality and conduct in such form as the Administrator prescribes.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id505011CB233E4281BF5D0442E5634FFF"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Completion of program</header><text>A member of the program may be appointed as a regular officer in the commissioned officer corps if the member meets all requirements for appointment as such an officer.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6FD9539154D44AFC8F877AB38BE93C10"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Financial assistance for qualified members</header>
<paragraph id="id57D1DA65C07F4790B3B550468FC251A7"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Expenses of course of instruction</header>
<subparagraph id="id0CBA669B4A4A4C7693B5A8CC48FA814C"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>In the case of a member of the program who meets such qualifications as the Administrator establishes for purposes of this subsection, the Administrator may pay the expenses of the member in connection with pursuit of a course of professional flight and piloting instruction under the program, including tuition, fees, educational materials such as books, training, certifications, travel, and laboratory expenses.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id756ADE2D5025498DB29B733ADEBFA209"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Assistance after fourth academic year</header><text>In the case of a member of the program described in subparagraph (A) who is enrolled in a course described in that subparagraph that has been approved by the Administrator and requires more than 4 academic years for completion, including elective requirements of the program, assistance under this subsection may also be provided during a fifth academic year or during a combination of a part of a fifth academic year and summer sessions.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id3A0F40B7FCEF4D9A97882F01EFE5FA38"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Room and board</header><text>In the case of a member eligible to receive assistance under paragraph (1), the Administrator may, in lieu of payment of all or part of such assistance, pay the room and board expenses of the member, and other educational expenses, of the educational institution concerned.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id49A1E9D275AD4E13B302427BFE32E4C8"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Failure to complete program or accept commission</header><text>A member of the program who receives assistance under this subsection and who does not complete the course of instruction, or who completes the course but declines to accept a commission in the commissioned officer corps when offered, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of subsection (e).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id6068DA6F966F499EA8B6E2C8171179C0"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Repayment of unearned portion of financial assistance when conditions of payment not met</header>
<paragraph id="id977D43019FE34101A3A77A7E51686A5E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>A member of the program who receives or benefits from assistance under subsection (d), and whose receipt of or benefit from such assistance is subject to the condition that the member fully satisfy the requirements of subsection (c), shall repay to the United States an amount equal to the assistance received or benefitted from if the member fails to fully satisfy such requirements and may not receive or benefit from any unpaid amounts of such assistance after the member fails to satisfy such requirements, unless the Administrator determines that the imposition of the repayment requirement and the termination of payment of unpaid amounts of such assistance with regard to the member would be—</text>
<subparagraph id="idD31051BBB6634E3580A199982522C2AB"><enum>(A)</enum><text>contrary to a personnel policy or management objective;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="idE60A473573654893B400AA68A153388F"><enum>(B)</enum><text>against equity and good conscience; or</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="id938339E2928B47059FC86920A1FAE143"><enum>(C)</enum><text>contrary to the best interests of the United States.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id7B66A66BDF814640852FE4B5910B396B"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>The Administrator may establish, by regulations, procedures for determining the amount of the repayment required under this subsection and the circumstances under which an exception to repayment may be granted. The Administrator may specify in the regulations the conditions under which financial assistance to be paid to a member of the program will not be made if the member no longer satisfies the requirements in subsection (c) or qualifications in subsection (d) for such assistance.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idB53E67F3BD9941EB84BBCB019DF3620A"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Obligation as debt to United States</header><text>An obligation to repay the United States under this subsection is, for all purposes, a debt owed to the United States.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2D436EFA3A62448BB0EF58566DBE4EAD"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 104(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 217 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0AA2244CE62D4B85A9C30B30F9BC7121" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 218. Aviation accession training programs.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idff021db4-3db2-4486-b068-3eee92e58bf7" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>106.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Recruiting materials</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6e2c3428-262c-4586-ba92-02c385056777"><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</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 105(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id44876f68-954d-4fed-ba57-eda7368b3520" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8937e0ca-2832-4809-b040-ac156406ec38" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>219.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Use of recruiting materials for public relations</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary may use for public relations purposes of the Department of Commerce any advertising materials developed for use for recruitment and retention of personnel for the commissioned officer corps of the Administration. Any such use shall be under such conditions and subject to such restrictions as the Secretary shall prescribe.</text></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcb61c74e-5e2b-4d10-b8a7-0452d4f9b71d"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 105(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 217 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf42c619c-f5c0-4763-8f0b-c7fe673dc312" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry bold="off" level="section">Sec. 219. Use of recruiting materials for public relations.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" id="id52f3d206837d4ce59c56de93a0988d8e"><enum>107.</enum><header>Procurement of charting and survey services</header>
<subsection commented="no" id="idB427AF342B7E4319B7A1B43F0B146ABD"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Not later than 90 days after the development of the strategy required by section 1002(b) of the Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 (<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/115/282">Public Law 115–282</external-xref>; 132 Stat. 4365), the Secretary of Commerce shall enter into not fewer than 2 multi-year contracts with 1 or more private entities for the performance of charting and survey services by vessels.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" id="idBB4212BFB37B44F7BA99A2F4CF61A672"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Charting and surveys in the Arctic</header><text>In soliciting and engaging the services of vessels under subsection (a), the Secretary shall particularly emphasize the need for charting and surveys in the Arctic.</text>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida5129668-4089-4d06-94db-4512909f2a86" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>108.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Technical correction</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 101(21)(C) 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><enum>II</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Parity and recruitment</header> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id9b039a12-0d33-439b-9cc8-db32d90964c1" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>201.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Education loans</header> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idea9f5b99-efd6-40f3-a901-83a4f351161d"><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</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3a7845cc-17c2-4338-bf5d-3567187aacdd" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd863b97a-d380-45ca-abb5-c690049d85d9" 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="idc5aecd5e-3533-40ad-924c-e312d3d66f38"><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="idc162a5de-9490-4b83-960f-41766c8f0d39"><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="id8724cb02-87ee-4dcf-8d33-a55ca1d59a65"><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="ide607757f-067f-4519-b3d4-c8252fa7576b"><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="idd8c02e6a-ee68-4411-b795-74c9b2d552f8"><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="id4b3af455-dfd8-40c8-bb2c-9ae106973e4c"><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="id6c94cd73-c3e4-4ffa-9676-47900ce623a1"><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="id17634a37-683e-4e8c-9891-70d17ef95d3c"><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="idc407fb96-fb02-4248-aaf4-094ce86161f4"><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="id34d75554-c5f5-4f3d-acd0-9b6c67ed154d"><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="idf1394ecb-a2c6-467e-87f0-0275b8f92cf0"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Loan repayments</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcb57c9c8-de65-49fc-883d-b7dcc4ad56b5"><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="idfcb9598e-e7e1-4fec-a4a9-5031aff6e92f"><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="id33b20d4d-b146-4345-8b8c-616ea57a6edf"><enum>(e)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Active duty service obligation</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7ed0222f-a886-44fe-8b69-9dccd86514fe"><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="id1377c87d-c0b0-42dd-816e-28b04c1912c3"><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="idda84e98d-0274-4e2c-9c52-3f6ddb49ffd3"><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="id6fe41d78-ee25-481d-bd52-3179bf20ec7d"><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="idc93776cb-dc4b-4e31-b6b1-a3184ba025a9"><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><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idD9BC5EAC938E4E42998F87E64E949C0B"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Concurrent completion of service obligations</header><text>A service obligation under this section may be completed concurrently with a service obligation under section 216.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6ca563ca-cbb9-47ed-9be0-9cef87b534c8"><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="id08816b0e-0d3b-4754-a5d8-657925a9970b"><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="idb7821861-68aa-4e51-9d20-88e58d5b25db"><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="id3eb478a0-d827-44d4-9204-7199605d0b8c"><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="ida63a947f-baba-416d-ba23-fb51c57cf527"><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="id3eb7ee11-f648-42fd-b8bf-9d81f4700fe5"><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="idfdfaa978-81fa-4b69-bde1-d15229879b32"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="id921551b4-56cc-4715-be4b-3ef1cfcd927f" 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="idcc336548-0eec-4460-a44b-ede5174c522b" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>202.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Interest payments</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3b761c53-5ff2-4108-99b3-618a80f403be"><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</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 201(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfad03dda-137e-4b58-8fdc-d8fbc693b54d" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida6083859-cbde-460e-a5c8-7c0d6fa24fbc" 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="id8c12ad0d-a79a-4dbe-ab4e-4b2c8d8692b9"><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="ide6c29dca-473b-4c3d-8cbb-a614fd8951e5"><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="idad12c01a-c139-4bb3-b5e3-d4eb6ad73260"><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="idc0170c72-7500-43c3-a0e7-199a248e511e"><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="id742e9ded-f0af-4dd7-8bc4-ba64a3812712"><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="id183e0375-3585-42c7-a0d5-48befb7d21c0"><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="id291eecad-6396-4b87-96de-ea2095e2d5d2"><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="idc676f598-1319-4371-a4eb-3a6ceda3da25"><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 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1071">20 U.S.C. 1071</external-xref> et seq.).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id08475fb1-f3d7-4fef-b6af-8bc8a100b25a"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loan made under part D of such title (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1087a">20 U.S.C. 1087a</external-xref> et seq.).</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5735e81b-f1b8-4c0e-8c89-e9e7048ce01f"><enum>(3)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A loan made under part E of such title (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1087aa">20 U.S.C. 1087aa</external-xref> et seq.).</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idff29b2f2-ebfd-44c7-992e-cdb8c982af52"><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="id8c0c3b27-ce7e-4c6f-a4c2-fa0b5ecdd41b"><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="id8cfae6de-d29d-49c9-9104-750eb4677e86"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Coordination with Secretary of Education</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd3baf1fa-1e6f-44e3-809f-28568f2be50b"><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="id0a379f89-4d86-43b9-a4e6-69e738f5d579"><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="id2f48744f-3122-427d-8356-cce9eb825a02"><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="idb916cf7c-7e9f-4801-b3f6-67c1f99d0927"><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</external-xref> et seq., 1087a et seq., 1087aa et seq.).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id58e02764-441e-4599-af84-e24bec261a23"><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 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/20/1087-1">20 U.S.C. 1087–1</external-xref>).</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id476c810f-5475-4f55-933d-cb07be5f64ae"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Conforming amendments</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id07672262-05bc-4132-bab4-6a26b4ef6c23"><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="id76f8d6a0-f195-40f6-b557-fe31d9b65de0"><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="idadcfd5bf-5f1c-4494-a1fe-d74afe65d78c"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1)—</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide54b9400-cd26-4f35-8999-76ca2868ade6"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or section 268 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="id4917dd0f-22b1-47d0-8506-a02300d557c2"><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="id97790050-f5eb-4f9b-a303-8e56ab9118a9"><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="id3ebe6875-88db-4648-8900-45778cdfd906"><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="ida07b91eb-4977-412a-8ad8-a29a27047697"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in paragraph (1)—</text>
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id01b71863-8949-4c58-a99b-f081426ca2dc"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting <quote>or section 268 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="id87fd409c-4dcb-43c5-acd2-066a2022dcfe"><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="idae1d0bb5-d438-471d-8330-70c63bb2579d"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 201(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 267 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1505e06e-99ac-4e6b-8ff4-dc479db0de5f" 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="idd4541faf-c4f1-46d6-9c3b-fbbad94fc0ba" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>203.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Student pre-commissioning program</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3ce73ec9-03af-47c8-a761-660f16ca5cbe"><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</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 202(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4e616ae0-e137-499c-8f65-8f829d0fa825" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide98a8eb1-31c7-40e0-83ba-6bcb4f5218aa" 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="id06896369-4dea-4374-95a0-a3ad63ae32bc"><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="idb5950f0c-307e-4bb7-a289-621e619fb11b"><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="id6faf3d8d-8a6f-4700-9d49-b330d782e60b"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a postbaccalaureate degree.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id744b990d-85f2-4f47-a97c-cb9002ba32aa"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Eligible persons</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd493b7f9-6a8d-408d-8b72-3d06e15d69a1"><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="idd8255ef5-fe46-4071-96e8-09555029dc83"><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="idd56a3c7d-aea1-4680-8008-40bbbcc59323"><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="id03a0098b-22f4-44fd-a4cc-490c697e5b6f"><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="id2b4e4131-882e-4934-bfe3-649485214ceb"><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—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb339f0f9-9afe-46d9-9182-e6a039ad2dbe"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">agrees to accept an appointment as an officer, if tendered; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcdf75b76-480d-4361-bafe-df9924ae0db6"><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="ide852ff7e-e8ad-4117-abd8-6dd2fde3368e"><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="id6d2f9732-c38e-4f30-b781-d67a5bb8d435"><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="id396e13a3-eed0-42cc-9445-01c909d09783"><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="id77be0f0c-f944-447d-871a-b65cbecba169"><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="id41cb9673-ba41-4cdb-9374-bbb6c1624051"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The cost of educational materials.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4812a36c-0d88-44b6-845a-c1c88add8b95"><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="idea62ddb5-285a-4a1c-b667-e5e56453e134"><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="idf4929756-509e-4efc-bdf8-54a7fddd27b0"><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 section 2173(e)(2) 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="id76700500-e310-43d8-8785-eda20f5fb6a8"><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="idf5d45a92-0335-4f3f-aae4-3fe3898e64c1"><enum>(f)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsistence allowance</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id64350e6d-cfbd-465e-bbba-02b02e262a58"><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="id5052d949-e959-4cbf-af60-c86f1dae7f60"><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 section 2144(a) of title 10, United States Code.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id951b188b-43c4-4ad7-baf5-84f85b319142"><enum>(g)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Initial clothing allowance</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf965f4b2-084e-418c-b43f-4f94f4cb0e5e"><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="id34ee901b-33ef-42f5-8658-0e13df889a7d"><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="id591d98b6-adc8-4654-a91d-8776d0e046a6"><enum>(h)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Termination of financial assistance</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id79e657e9-ce7d-4341-a65f-711c4a4acde0"><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="idb6a0e101-7c67-47b4-86dc-a3c7e1d6ecf4"><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="id7a1b61f3-5e0d-45ad-aca5-1aaa93e6ec52"><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="idc014ba03-2822-415b-862d-04be4c945218"><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="idf2f50322-a68b-4f51-8104-7139c7cd9bc9"><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="id23417264-62c1-4abc-a157-663a0f6d075d"><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="idb8e3f6ec-b010-49f9-8239-85358afcf0ec"><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="ida6414727-6d65-430e-8403-26f56c4cd237"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">is—</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id93e7f6d6-dba0-425a-aa67-b69217982b94"><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="id3ba1d727-93a5-4d50-b076-5c0f07c995d4"><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="id73b6f816-58af-43a0-835c-e9d7932d3736"><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="idbe5160d6-ac03-4ae5-b0ab-93e77493aeb3"><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="id5e656352-ec59-4971-9589-fd5f529072de"><enum>(i)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Regulations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary may prescribe such regulations and orders as the Secretary considers appropriate to carry out this section.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idF1A58F5D90C8404CBF14DA1CBA41C746"><enum>(j)</enum><header>Concurrent completion of service obligations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A service obligation under this section may be completed concurrently with a service obligation under section 216.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id36bbce30-86d1-4b3c-9a5f-d90dcf805554"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 202(c), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 268 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id233f6b5f-771e-4208-8f1e-55e6338bcbf7" 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="id24f506cc-2155-428d-8c3a-678599429f06" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>204.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on educational assistance</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd96f64c3-0deb-4264-a3cc-7c840a846093"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Each fiscal year, beginning with the fiscal year in which this Act is enacted, 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 201(a)), section 268 of such Act (as added by section 202(a)), and section 269 of such Act (as added by section 203(a)) does not exceed the amount by which—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0749821f-0720-42c2-a175-5826c738e28d"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the total amount the Secretary would pay in that fiscal year to officer candidates under section 203(f)(1) of title 37, United States Code (as added by section 305(d)), if such section entitled officer 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="idb387d31c-c8c0-4e38-8efd-2301ad79df16"><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="idba7f00da-e3af-4a32-86c2-a338357e1ef0"><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 paragraph (4) of section 212(b) 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 305(c).</text>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcadcf577-b649-4a6a-8123-304628477ac6" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>205.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Applicability of certain provisions of title 10, United States Code, and extension of certain
authorities applicable to members of the Armed Forces to commissioned
officer corps</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb5f758f8-dd04-48a7-be85-f2f7abd57bc7"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Applicability of certain provisions of title 10</header><text display-inline="yes-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="id25c37e6e-d029-4a81-82eb-d872dff5522c"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (13) through (16) as paragraphs (22) through (25), respectively;</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3994ad10-9156-4c0e-9e8f-406e830d0a6f"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (7) through (12) as paragraphs (14) through (19), respectively;</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5d3f4b05-d337-4886-9ec4-c90a845f998e"><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="idaf62a956-0901-4e34-b3ba-9a1ae1141833"><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="idaa877d20-237e-4c2a-a7c4-4c88bebf653a" style="OLC"> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida3048e89-6ba5-4a7e-9f20-278b5cc8709e"><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="id378ec502-f0d2-46f9-8273-cc4788953671"><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="idea7e0015-1b5b-4d1f-a53b-6bfffc59e349"><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="id46af9ee5-907b-4443-81b4-35c6ea1f2f5c"><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="id494afd54-6e68-40d8-8586-25a97a973c18"><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="id0be36e77-f21d-4fb7-8820-29a695c318a9" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id89a3606c-51a7-4998-aaed-2a7769fda511"><enum>(11)</enum><text>Section 1074n, relating to annual mental health assessments.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb33ed74a-bfdc-4c41-a48b-62818f0c00ce"><enum>(12)</enum><text>Section 1090a, relating to referrals for mental health evaluations.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id2c82a672-f2ba-481e-bc4a-c017b97231d1"><enum>(13)</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="id30170a92-9394-47d0-90f5-adadfd044938"><enum>(6)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by inserting after paragraph (19), as redesignated, the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd73559fb-59f2-48c7-848f-7e5893b44604" style="OLC"> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id723c0532-2e5f-4333-99ae-d47aedc6f0ca"><enum>(20)</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="id6ca00844-4ea3-45d3-8bc1-c7c8025212d8"><enum>(21)</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></subsection><subsection id="idac4da24f-5ad5-4cf5-9f2c-151ab3c806bb"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Extension of certain authorities</header>
<paragraph id="id8d72abb3-b8b1-41eb-80a8-794361aa0088"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Notarial services</header><text>Section 1044a of title 10, United States Code, is amended—</text> <subparagraph id="id863aff07-ebb5-425c-9035-01d36e616b69"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subsection (a)(1), by striking <quote>armed forces</quote> and inserting <quote>uniformed services</quote>; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="ida8c1ae00-e2a6-4e38-a03f-54467caea6ca"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subsection (b)(4), by striking <quote>armed forces</quote> both places it appears and inserting <quote>uniformed services</quote>.</text> </subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id3c4f6e9e-ed96-46d9-bde4-6b793ef39f09"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Acceptance of voluntary services for programs serving members and their families</header><text>Section 1588 of such title is amended—</text>
<subparagraph id="id0c925dd1-3044-42a5-aec7-f825fc846537"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subsection (a)(3), in the matter before subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>armed forces</quote> and inserting <quote>uniformed services</quote>; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph id="id480e6691-0421-4260-8e1e-3d179fa31aa2"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id76275ee8-c92b-4bfd-b4f9-623acdfb65a4" style="OLC">
<subsection id="id9e6f39cc-c2fc-4ee9-8c8c-633e16766fd4"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Secretary concerned for acceptance of services for programs serving members of NOAA corps and their
families</header><text>For purposes of the acceptance of services described in subsection (a)(3), the term <term>Secretary concerned</term> in subsection (a) shall include the Secretary of Commerce with respect to members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id856fc36b-101b-4754-8268-54750e83b809"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Capstone course for newly selected flag officers</header><text>Section 2153 of such title is amended—</text> <subparagraph id="id27557d63-cc50-435c-be0c-e289fe2f2ba7"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subsection (a)—</text>
<clause id="idfcab533a-3d7a-459b-adcd-49c3bdd94c98"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by inserting <quote>or the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</quote> after <quote>in the case of the Navy</quote>; and</text> </clause><clause id="iddb18f8dd-f906-4cff-865f-330656cfc412"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by striking <quote>other armed forces</quote> and inserting <quote>other uniformed services</quote>; and</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id475ec114-561f-43b1-8a1e-350c35bc43df"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in subsection (b)(1), in the matter before subparagraph (A), by inserting <quote>or the Secretary of Commerce, as applicable,</quote> after <quote>the Secretary of Defense</quote>.</text> </subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef40b60e-df05-489d-ba31-c095ac75b618" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>206.</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="id479594ff-87e4-402f-89a9-dd8bd0e53761"><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</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 261 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8c55f106-0b6f-48b5-95aa-4ea3df7ea89c" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id67c417e4-afb3-4871-97fe-56d1a0d38fb5" 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="ided18c5c1-04a0-4456-b8bf-1d820029de06"><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="ida6da2e5b-1bfb-454c-8a64-7a78c40903de"><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="idb660071c-34e9-4329-8a70-9f1a839536e1"><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="idac1402c1-51de-43fd-b580-ed94f81133e9"><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="id264B634A991941BBAF3AD859C2DA16E1"><enum>(4)</enum><text>Section 415, relating to initial uniform allowances.</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5215a4bd-0b20-419b-9480-2a59d8a69a89"><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="id151f71f0-d9b9-4ee2-a980-96c0f4a45a36"><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="idd4bbc24e-97b2-4ad6-b12e-aca1c29d1b0d"><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="id7ee588bb-6058-4989-ba17-aae0bf045818"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Personal money allowance</header><text>Section 414(a)(2) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting <quote>or the director of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</quote> after <quote>Health Service</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf7f57190-41f6-407c-887c-369e719da425"><enum>(c)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="id05fd1bf8-8352-442e-81fd-7d1f244d2db9" 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="id192254fe-38c0-44cb-a07f-008ff04f928f" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>207.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Prohibition on retaliatory personnel actions</header> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide1a9ff8b-4ff3-4dab-a050-f77e8f5b64cb"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (a) of section 261 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3071">33 U.S.C. 3071</external-xref>), as amended by section 205(a), is further amended—</text>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide8e173a3-8adc-4347-b4c3-3ae7eb605afc"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by redesignating paragraphs (8) through (25) as paragraphs (9) through (26), respectively; and</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8ee70510-8d86-4f48-af8a-8c8deee97976"><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="id73de9b23-a903-4840-9ce0-a14614601799" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5cbf5225-88f8-44e5-9951-c8d58080fb42"><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="idd6bb1125-119f-4e92-a1df-421e87fd08f1"><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 <term>Inspector General</term> in section 1034 of such title 10 shall mean the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce.</quote>.</text> </subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1bc13914-8e70-486a-b5a7-ca2fec1d4137"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Regulations</header><text>Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8edfd542-dc36-45a0-9bd2-b48970392d28" style="OLC">
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc51fc169-66e9-4f58-93f8-202f04ce393e"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Regulations regarding protected communications and prohibition of retaliatory personnel actions</header><text>The Secretary may prescribe regulations to carry out the application of section 1034 of title 10, United States Code, to the commissioned officer corps of the Administration, including by prescribing such administrative procedures for investigation and appeal within the commissioned officer corps as the Secretary considers appropriate.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idde7c0eeb-04b8-48e2-bbfe-f42c58eba9d2" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>208.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Application of certain provisions of competitive service law</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 3304(f) of title 5, United States Code, is amended—</text> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id744e7ac3-c31d-4d3d-9f62-45923c2267ad"><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="ide9d8c497-f0a2-4e9e-84f8-01d8f8723ed1"><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="id7de97eea-987c-459f-97af-bcb7049d51fd"><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="id6ce5f913-e115-4bcb-bed9-3e05a324d3e4" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>209.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Employment and reemployment rights</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 id="id52c96cc4-145d-4e4b-966d-bf657320dba9"><enum>210.</enum><header>Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps for purposes of certain hiring decisions</header> <subsection id="idf76ce496-d41b-483d-b53a-d4148e0f61eb"><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</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by this title, is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0c3b7193-c4e6-4755-a629-ac91699c9a4a" style="OLC">
<section id="idab10337e-e914-4c96-89fe-7709babc8c2d"><enum>269A.</enum><header>Treatment of commission in commissioned officer corps as employment in Administration for purposes
of certain hiring decisions</header>
<subsection id="idffdd3ca0-e152-44c0-90ee-dafebd299754"><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="id9ccc1c17-87da-4eca-b25e-97e61eb9f2bf"><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="idbc32b845-84d7-4af7-8a5f-e48f4588cf28"><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 section 2102 of title 5, United States Code.</text></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </subsection><subsection id="idea02b08f-72c6-47d8-94a4-ac480072d6d6"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 section 203, the following new item:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id24516558-4281-455d-8516-6bde93473314" 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>III</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments and promotion of officers</header>
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcfdfefc2-46c6-406d-8b8d-c5fc35efd71d" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>301.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointments</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf0b5df17-f635-4113-b4aa-e5416a031f5f"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Original appointments</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="id5e3572cd-b1e7-44fc-ac50-204d4a1cbc56" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide9a5d999-bd28-48e4-8cf8-3ec8ba48b0b7" 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="idc268564e-b090-4f9c-acc5-0bfedf2d79ee"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Original appointments</header> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfe809ebc-42e0-4042-9f31-b72fd916cce0"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Grades</header> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id37d194d5-2005-4a0f-9038-d57389ebd101"><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="id4051d0c9-5467-40f9-9833-dfec4c5ad07c"><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="id55cae490-4bcb-4558-85ff-980db5eb9471"><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="id8854c39b-1014-4c7c-b956-f97a852a0718"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Appointment of officer candidates</header>
<clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf1627b9c-e969-4840-818f-6dd198656a47"><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="id4f3abaea-1f00-4c16-b707-7a876627eeb1"><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="id3f35f221-724f-49fa-b3e6-2e914b6acc77"><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="id08e16f17-f6e3-4bff-b27a-51064ca4ba64"><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="id2c32d4a6-7fc1-4f02-b4a0-bc6a7e0b2847"><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="id735f7edf-b5f1-4736-bc1f-128d64f93e57"><enum>(C)</enum><text>Graduates of the maritime academies of the States who—</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id341d3109-d4fb-40a0-8ae2-3a9e6b8abac1"><enum>(i)</enum><text>otherwise meet the academic standards for enrollment in the training program described in subparagraph (A);</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd0899fe2-2dd2-4cdf-9c9e-f2bdf579fc5a"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>completed at least 3 years of regimented training while at a maritime academy of a State; and</text> </clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd5f822c4-b158-439d-97e1-0a3455b9fa41"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>obtained an unlimited tonnage or unlimited horsepower Merchant Mariner Credential from the United States Coast Guard.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id299a885e-c943-4c2b-a7c6-48e6beafc367"><enum>(D)</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="id775af678-e81d-4808-9451-718e88cb7aed"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this subsection:</text> <subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3676e9ff-3a81-4988-8cde-6f5b3bf1ae81"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Maritime academies of the States</header><text>The term <term>maritime academies of the States</term> means the following:</text>
<clause id="id312c5da0-18fe-4537-847f-c63c45a41a9e"><enum>(i)</enum><text>California Maritime Academy, Vallejo, California.</text> </clause><clause id="idf3d7ad61-3f92-4379-87d3-cdd9c8e7b3e9"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Traverse City, Michigan.</text>
</clause><clause id="id6e2c0b72-9302-486b-a41f-4532b0806899"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, Maine.</text> </clause><clause id="idb8e5cc6c-7a12-4394-b480-59708c78a001"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts.</text>
</clause><clause id="id83ed290f-b5d4-46e3-9c1b-2fbd177fca0b"><enum>(v)</enum><text>State University of New York Maritime College, Fort Schuyler, New York.</text> </clause><clause id="id6c737e8b-f2ad-41c4-af3f-e3c4e3b51bca"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>Texas A&M Maritime Academy, Galveston, Texas.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id94f95a97-b8c3-4c56-912e-d43d65e96777"><enum>(B)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Military service academies of the United States</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>military service academies of the United States</term> means the following:</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id80872362-4d78-4dcf-96f4-61abbdcf74b0"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id103386ef-64a0-4cb6-99c6-1d495312d5f5"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.</text> </clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id63ab9855-891a-4fde-bac5-177442aa233e"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.</text>
</clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide594b166-259c-42ef-95c9-1433ed287c78"><enum>(iv)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut.</text> </clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id217e64c4-e5f9-47ce-b25e-73a6d35f2aae"><enum>(v)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id194457d0-246b-44ab-b682-c7b964be9575"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Reappointment</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf84c6a6c-9892-40a9-b8ce-843d7750603e"><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="id658dec66-b1c1-4ec9-aaea-8a3e532b4660"><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="id6219fd7f-706f-4760-a4ce-df02a2fc41d0"><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="id392c4c36-711b-4cb8-a557-cad732d40442"><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="ide64fc9dd-14d4-402d-b8a4-9d8587197aed"><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="id8ba28219-a712-4b93-b426-29387af4ca00"><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="id0c692332-9898-4242-b7ce-719b471d22f7"><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="id9ba44967-c589-4e19-a48d-ccf28edef59b"><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> </subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6d0c7837-cb1e-4307-a1a9-3b2c0361a349"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="idafcb6368-c1e3-4d62-8102-d92e603c56fc" 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>
</subsection></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id454256ab-2fe9-4203-b073-219d07740cba" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>302.</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="id5ad760ba-a053-4694-af6d-f6af56fc8f8c" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idbc121f44-1f9f-4f9e-b43b-356596a4c6af" 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="id55f925c9-1b4c-4b2b-b399-0414ba39da4e"><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="idc254d3cb-17aa-47be-b112-fae1ae3cf4b1"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Membership</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6401e69b-314a-4ea4-bc59-c6fc0655bc88"><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="id3df17813-5abf-43ee-b13f-be608372d75d"><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="id53c21cf4-5f65-47bc-a051-3e7ef3225be9"><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="idc798d3c9-b331-43d5-812c-a1dc11583ee6"><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="id86eb7a23-72ad-46e4-bfb7-6cb5b23c555f"><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="idda3f9383-cf1c-42bc-94e9-fc13880fe719"><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="ide459d1ad-0450-4aae-8c55-db01bcfd585e"><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 considers appropriate.</text>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id550A12334BC840AAA480D0B2360933DF"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Authority for officers To opt out of promotion consideration</header>
<paragraph id="idDF73773E069440C4B1F8D959B704096C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps may provide that an officer, upon the officer’s request and with the approval of the Director, be excluded from consideration for promotion by a personnel board convened under this section.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="idE917D48B6D034D5F932FEF08AF7C378C"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Approval</header><text>The Director shall approve a request made by an officer under subsection (a) only if—</text> <subparagraph id="id651FFA8BD8D74F9EAEE7577BDB815B76"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the basis for the request is to allow the officer to complete a broadening assignment, advanced education, another assignment of significant value to the Administration, a career progression requirement delayed by the assignment or education, or a qualifying personal or professional circumstance, as determined by the Director;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id814CE16EB94248F184D7DC4AF78DB01A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Director determines the exclusion from consideration is in the best interest of the Administration; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id415D1ABC5A864E369808FF373AC806C3"><enum>(C)</enum><text>the officer has not previously failed selection for promotion to the grade for which the officer requests the exclusion from consideration.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1b9e8362-47f8-42fd-8d01-97c7171b9982"><enum>303.</enum><header>Positions of importance and responsibility</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 228 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3028">33 U.S.C. 3028</external-xref>) is amended—</text> <paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc2eed7da-0528-462c-ad26-7de0dadf94aa"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (c)—</text>
<subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idACC31367112F4151BE153A87ACC901C4"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the first sentence, by striking <quote>The Secretary shall designate one position under this section</quote> and inserting <quote>The President shall designate one position</quote>; and</text> </subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id0EF1DEED0205453DAAF166D273AAF8C3"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in the second sentence, by striking <quote>That position shall be filled by</quote> and inserting <quote>The President shall fill that position by appointing, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,</quote>;</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6CCE13517399472D84397736559C90F6"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subsection (d)(2), by inserting <quote>or immediately beginning a period of terminal leave</quote> after <quote>for which a higher grade is designated</quote>;</text> </paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id42F21D67C21840D5A49E1606E8650104"><enum>(3)</enum><text>by amending subsection (e) to read as follows:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id6C1B07C1316E4B77A10AAF6A1C023D57" style="OLC">
<subsection id="id220f113dce674e67990cfde6c35ea4e3"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Limit on number of officers appointed</header><text>The total number of officers serving on active duty at any one time in the grade of rear admiral (lower half) or above may not exceed five, with only one serving in the grade of vice admiral.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idE7A88C3F32044847A50AC9E330429A37"><enum>(4)</enum><text>in subsection (f), by inserting <quote>or in a period of annual leave used at the end of the appointment</quote> after <quote>serving in that grade</quote>.</text> </paragraph></section><section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfa021f16-200c-4985-aaf7-0e5323809d1a" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>304.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Temporary appointments</header> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id30db5e46-dd98-4325-9e84-a46e35fa2f45"><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="idC015068F2B4A494CA9F4489DE9F258E7" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idb799d54c-f04b-4384-ba40-fef9e475cac8" 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="id4861a016-6f76-4665-ac00-f84aa767a373"><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="id73ce1984-786a-4e78-a5c4-838ac39a48ae"><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="id4eac60de-7526-4b8e-b7e1-fb954f85c29d"><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="id133f1f13-c41e-4c37-b8a7-460e2c9e6aeb"><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></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id15ced35f-7efb-4cd9-9c12-a4cfa1191476"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="id465a6815-6fcd-4f20-a257-38695d66fcde" 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="id91bb7a58-d0e1-4db5-b95e-a72fe686339c" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>305.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Officer candidates</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id54b5e754-f764-47bb-b4a6-65e9c7d2f9d1"><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</external-xref> et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id287718e8-3e2e-49d9-9fc5-96ebba31bcf8" style="OLC"> <section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idea274a4e-0313-461c-97fd-e510b20bcf0d" 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="id86aef51f-ed8d-4de7-b170-de2095eee766"><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="id362b91cb-6fef-48c7-ab20-24371f8f47ec"><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="idc8863c23-4e7c-4696-8eef-d75ec15010ac"><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="id32c55e1d-7b80-4924-8658-b973b214be6f"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Agreement</header>
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4c8745ef-eca7-4f67-9d0e-82cda8d52cb5"><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="idbdb68dd4-fc03-4fd9-8ba1-01cbcbdfa039"><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="idd9e30eff-2017-49c6-9bdd-988e8aa66781"><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="id63da8956-8e49-489c-837d-05b8cc2ba7f4"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">That upon graduation from such program, the officer candidate—</text> <clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id68680030-a542-4f69-8a55-52425c1e05ae"><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="idd9dbe227-e0d6-462b-91e8-7e5f903bf785"><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="id3cb9414a-c17b-4df4-b850-faae57d7f5dd"><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="id27bc9e28-1592-4f2f-a204-d20bb11f351a"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">standards for determining what constitutes a breach of an agreement signed under subsection (d)(1); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id26972e93-ec72-4bff-80b1-1d820a337d3c"><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="id36260508-fc23-44f0-ae91-f3e9b08395a7"><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 subsection (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="idb782f5e0-c8db-463c-806d-a166c53c1e4e"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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="idcff61ce7-9e13-4c68-aeda-1d45bbceadd6" 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="idb2650c91-1867-44b5-8684-4ce139899ba7"><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="id441013e1-d2f4-457a-8ea1-a34a092f016d"><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="id22f1866d-eb18-430a-afba-fe093b75384d"><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="id505ee204-5741-48cf-a8fa-be60b35e0a7d" style="OLC">
<paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3818d6ef-3ab5-401d-a2b1-8b0244f9fc4c"><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="idc2352b65-65ef-497d-8d2e-c450ff12889c"><enum>(d)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Pay for officer candidates</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 203 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1c4aa594-c937-4ab9-bb11-b0ea9bc8e403" style="OLC"> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idecf6ea97-3e38-4306-9ffc-24242b419b36"><enum>(f)</enum><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="id3f0ed570-ec0d-4d94-a707-c73d07ca0049"><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 rates equal to the basic pay of an enlisted member in the pay grade E–5 with less than 2 years of service.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id428eb1e3-7462-407c-9628-151a1367c0fb" 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="idf2336768-a7b4-467b-a088-e94ce84546f1" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>306.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Procurement of personnel</header>
<subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idda12d8bc-ef2a-40f2-b2f1-f5f7f20e5f6c"><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</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 305(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idcef2ad8e-78ea-4476-af4d-ed8feea71219" style="OLC">
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id96041b33-55ea-44fa-b303-c4872d0132cf" 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="idf90647dc-005e-4b64-bde5-c5ab00cfe478"><enum>(b)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Clerical amendment</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 305(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 234 the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id54ff6011-b38f-4639-b653-90599ca5961b" 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><section id="idf9143558a80346ce82d119ceac2d5b0f"><enum>307.</enum><header>Career intermission program</header>
<subsection id="idf0da86738c3d49f786fd3516d4d41455"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subtitle B (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3021">33 U.S.C. 3021</external-xref> et seq.), as amended by section 306(a), is further amended by adding at the end the following:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id3ECB6BD1FA144154B75A9719491F3C97" style="OLC">
<section id="iddf53683584534c6bb6b353c8b5ffe66a"><enum>236.</enum><header>Career flexibility to enhance retention of officers</header>
<subsection id="id61034a767ceb4de397b7bc528d008619"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Programs authorized</header><text>The Secretary may carry out a program under which officers may be inactivated from active duty in order to meet personal or professional needs and returned to active duty at the end of such period of inactivation from active duty.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="idf9ae0de94a5c4953ac5dc381b08dd636"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Period of inactivation from active duty; effect of inactivation</header>
<paragraph id="id16aeaa246c1f4c6e8388a29f398a7c62"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>The period of inactivation from active duty under a program under this section of an officer participating in the program shall be such period as the Secretary shall specify in the agreement of the officer under subsection (c), except that such period may not exceed 3 years.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id3bc430cda86b4c55ad10d1900460ce3c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Exclusion from retirement</header><text>Any period of participation of an officer in a program under this section shall not count toward eligibility for retirement or computation of retired pay under subtitle C.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida6ed8bcf61a94595a7ad7ecb549bbb8c"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Agreement</header><text>Each officer who participates in a program under this section shall enter into a written agreement with the Secretary under which that officer shall agree as follows:</text>
<paragraph id="id38f8cecfbbb242ec963eaf45c168f029"><enum>(1)</enum><text>To undergo during the period of the inactivation of the officer from active duty under the program such inactive duty training as the Director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps shall require in order to ensure that the officer retains proficiency, at a level determined by the Director to be sufficient, in the technical skills, professional qualifications, and physical readiness of the officer during the inactivation of the officer from active duty.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id6d94aa2311294376bf9d5acc8e04ab1c"><enum>(2)</enum><text>Following completion of the period of the inactivation of the officer from active duty under the program, to serve 2 months on active duty for each month of the period of the inactivation of the officer from active duty under the program.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="idb2aee710b8c840c299cb03ba4888fbf6"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Conditions of release</header><text>The Secretary shall—</text> <paragraph id="id067F709CE3A34CBCB1CE4CDC497DFAFF"><enum>(1)</enum><text>prescribe regulations specifying the guidelines regarding the conditions of release that must be considered and addressed in the agreement required by subsection (c); and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id13E980262F7248E19E94162979BAF04B"><enum>(2)</enum><text>at a minimum, prescribe the procedures and standards to be used to instruct an officer on the obligations to be assumed by the officer under paragraph (2) of such subsection while the officer is released from active duty.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ida2e13ed27ada4f628a0822451b88269e"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Order to active duty</header><text>Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, an officer participating in a program under this section may, in the discretion of the Secretary, be required to terminate participation in the program and be ordered to active duty.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="idb1590f1df9344d139430e5345015b87c"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Pay and allowances</header>
<paragraph id="id02a7c5386e8d4e2fa089047314303e0a"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Basic pay</header><text>During each month of participation in a program under this section, an officer who participates in the program shall be paid basic pay in an amount equal to two-thirtieths of the amount of monthly basic pay to which the officer would otherwise be entitled under section 204 of title 37, United States Code, as a member of the uniformed services on active duty in the grade and years of service of the officer when the officer commences participation in the program.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="ida2f5ced5897a4bb78732bdf5cdedff72"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Special or incentive pay or bonus</header>
<subparagraph id="ida9c0472bd52f469f9f64700bc614698e"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Prohibition</header><text>An officer who participates in a program under this section shall not, while participating in the program, be paid any special or incentive pay or bonus to which the officer is otherwise entitled under an agreement under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/37/5">chapter 5</external-xref> of title 37, United States Code, that is in force when the officer commences participation in the program.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1a2af9f32c7942d18f564ada69caec4c"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Not treated as failure to perform services</header><text>The inactivation from active duty of an officer participating in a program under this section shall not be treated as a failure of the officer to perform any period of service required of the officer in connection with an agreement for a special or incentive pay or bonus under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/37/5">chapter 5</external-xref> of title 37, United States Code, that is in force when the officer commences participation in the program.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id5d22ab40c3cc4eb0a41b0567098b0cd8"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Return to active duty</header>
<subparagraph id="id35303ba9efcc441dba429b029f75c294"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Special or incentive pay or bonus</header><text>Subject to subparagraph (B), upon the return of an officer to active duty after completion by the officer of participation in a program under this section—</text>
<clause id="id41d32afc29ca491db9b05698fc6bf12b"><enum>(i)</enum><text>any agreement entered into by the officer under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/37/5">chapter 5</external-xref> of title 37, United States Code, for the payment of a special or incentive pay or bonus that was in force when the officer commenced participation in the program shall be revived, with the term of such agreement after revival being the period of the agreement remaining to run when the officer commenced participation in the program; and</text>
</clause><clause id="id2377381827be410d925985290a9ff12e"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>any special or incentive pay or bonus shall be payable to the officer in accordance with the terms of the agreement concerned for the term specified in clause (i).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id57d0f81af9c1425c9c2968443a8f84e4"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Limitation</header>
<clause id="id3cba2ba134ec434cbb14d57562902d78"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any special or incentive pay or bonus otherwise covered by that subparagraph with respect to an officer if, at the time of the return of the officer to active duty as described in that subparagraph—</text>
<subclause id="idbf99ad3511534dd58a63998eb302825b"><enum>(I)</enum><text>such pay or bonus is no longer authorized by law; or</text> </subclause><subclause id="idfd76326b8c2a487cab618d11830d94f8"><enum>(II)</enum><text>the officer does not satisfy eligibility criteria for such pay or bonus as in effect at the time of the return of the officer to active duty.</text>
</subclause></clause><clause id="id6083a846a40b4342983f175cf25ce694"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Pay or bonus ceases being authorized</header><text>Subparagraph (A) shall cease to apply to any special or incentive pay or bonus otherwise covered by that subparagraph with respect to an officer if, during the term of the revived agreement of the officer under subparagraph (A)(i), such pay or bonus ceases being authorized by law.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id84d4d6178f45408e8c879338eecc4d5c"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Repayment</header><text>An officer who is ineligible for payment of a special or incentive pay or bonus otherwise covered by this paragraph by reason of subparagraph (B)(i)(II) shall be subject to the requirements for repayment of such pay or bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement of the officer under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/37/5">chapter 5</external-xref> of title 37, United States Code.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id46e73ed5faef4f4b9d204837909c3fa3"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Required service is additional</header><text>Any service required of an officer under an agreement covered by this paragraph after the officer returns to active duty as described in subparagraph (A) shall be in addition to any service required of the officer under an agreement under subsection (c).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id8ab754a0e8ae4d898c2fd654c23181ce"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Travel and transportation allowance</header>
<subparagraph id="idc67e326165eb4d258c0c002012aca154"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Subject to subparagraph (B), an officer who participates in a program under this section is entitled, while participating in the program, to the travel and transportation allowances authorized by section 474 of title 37, United States Code, for—</text>
<clause id="idd825568ed582492abd26208d9f83e4e7"><enum>(i)</enum><text>travel performed from the residence of the officer, at the time of release from active duty to participate in the program, to the location in the United States designated by the officer as the officer’s residence during the period of participation in the program; and</text>
</clause><clause id="id2a94612e076445b0b839aca83e2decf4"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>travel performed to the residence of the officer upon return to active duty at the end of the participation of the officer in the program.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="idb5e0717cbd0345fcb67b61bb3dd586ac"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Single residence</header><text>An allowance is payable under this paragraph only with respect to travel of an officer to and from a single residence.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id35119d8315624c5bae4c19918cc23b99"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Leave balance</header><text>An officer who participates in a program under this section is entitled to carry forward the leave balance existing as of the day on which the officer begins participation and accumulated in accordance with section 701 of title 10, but not to exceed 60 days.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id060c9b52de414f9dafe25dc54cff1aef"><enum>(g)</enum><header>Promotion</header>
<paragraph id="id004e62cfe7c344d5ba140e5b0fad110b"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text>An officer participating in a program under this section shall not, while participating in the program, be eligible for consideration for promotion under subtitle B.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id804cfd7a37c7468f98ccc708ead91f61"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Return to service</header><text>Upon the return of an officer to active duty after completion by the officer of participation in a program under this section—</text>
<subparagraph id="id8b4ad41e12d4429b8c37d954e4173c0b"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Secretary may adjust the date of rank of the officer in such manner as the Secretary shall prescribe in regulations for purposes of this section; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="id1fbf26ed92b943b2848b22c5aa5e505c"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the officer shall be eligible for consideration for promotion when officers of the same competitive category, grade, and seniority are eligible for consideration for promotion.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="ide87ecc0427894f36b3abb6a9bcab93d3"><enum>(h)</enum><header>Continued entitlements</header><text>An officer participating in a program under this section shall, while participating in the program, be treated as a member of the uniformed services on active duty for a period of more than 30 days for purposes of—</text>
<paragraph id="idaaee9df481644bcdb59b616e62b7a7f5"><enum>(1)</enum><text>the entitlement of the officer and of the dependents of the officer to medical and dental care under the provisions of <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/10/55">chapter 55</external-xref> of title 10; and</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="id4c40a7f64ce64d618eee7ccabcd14a78"><enum>(2)</enum><text>retirement or separation for physical disability under the provisions of subtitle C.</text></paragraph></subsection></section><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </subsection><subsection id="ide9591f5dd6f046f4892623db43098b75"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of contents in section 1 of the Act entitled <quote>An Act to authorize the Hydrographic Services 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 306(b), is further amended by inserting after the item relating to section 235 the following:</text>
<quoted-block id="idaee52008-8acb-4b79-9bf9-d20c171a5773" style="OLC"><toc><toc-entry idref="iddf53683584534c6bb6b353c8b5ffe66a" level="section">Sec. 236. Career flexibility to enhance retention of officers.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><enum>IV</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Separation and retirement of officers</header>
<section commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf667c8ad-947e-46f4-ba61-0d47cb17cfa6" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>401.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Involuntary retirement or separation</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 241 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3041">33 U.S.C. 3041</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id1763492d-4f6a-482c-83d5-a3836a7f711d" style="OLC"> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idef1b7900-730f-4cc4-b4f0-54694a45b0e4"><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="idd2bfa52e-8c51-436f-bd23-019087b921c7"><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="idc673ad42-9f25-4728-9ed4-8327633af661"><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="id202ab90d-0229-47d1-92dd-aa0e90b05705"><enum>(3)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">A deferment 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="id3a1f63ac-247f-401b-aa26-bfe4d85ae420" section-type="subsequent-section"><enum>402.</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Separation pay</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">Section 242 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/33/3042">33 U.S.C. 3042</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id634c9891-f8ca-4070-b894-940c61634156" style="OLC"> <subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id87012765-21f5-40a7-a1d4-3e3909e8818e"><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="id0ac89e52-81d2-4c46-80fc-c8d3cc367e10"><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="id0c0f7fc0-2439-41f4-ad24-e956ef30fa1f"><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>