10 U.S.C. § 127b — Department of Defense rewards program

(a) Authority. The Secretary of Defense may pay someone money, or give them something of value, as a reward for giving U.S. government personnel — or personnel of allied forces working with U.S. forces on a joint operation — helpful information or nonlethal assistance. The reward must help either: (1) a U.S. or allied operation or activity conducted outside the United States against international terrorism; or (2) protecting U.S. forces, or allied forces on a joint operation. (b) Limitation. No single reward, in money or value, may exceed $5,000,000. (c) Delegation of Authority. (1) The Secretary's reward power can be delegated only: (A) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense or an Under Secretary of Defense, who cannot pass it on further; and (B) to a combatant commander, but only for rewards up to $1,000,000. (2) A combatant commander who receives this power may pass it on further, but only for rewards up to $10,000 — except the commander may give broader authority to a deputy commander or the commander of a directly subordinate command, if the Secretary, Deputy Secretary, or an Under Secretary approves. (3)(A) An official with delegated authority may use it, working through allied personnel, to offer and give rewards. (B) Before doing that, the Secretary must set policies and procedures — including how the funds will be tracked — and send them to the congressional defense committees. Those rules take effect only 30 days after being submitted, and rewards cannot be given this way until then. (d) Coordination. (1) The Secretary must set policies and procedures for offering and giving rewards, working with the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, so this program doesn't duplicate or interfere with rewards run by the State Department or Justice Department. (2) The Secretary must consult the Secretary of State before making any reward worth more than $2,000,000. (e) Persons Not Eligible. These people cannot receive a reward under this section: (1) U.S. citizens; (2) U.S. government officers or employees; (3) employees of U.S. government contractors. (f) Annual Report. (1) By February 1 each year, the Secretary must report to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees on how the program ran the previous fiscal year. (2) Each report must cover: the total amount spent on the program that year; how much (if any) was spent publicizing it; for every reward given that year, its amount or value and whether it was cash or something else, who received it and their location, and a description of the information or help given plus an assessment of its significance and benefit; a description of where the program operates, by combatant command and country; efforts to coordinate with and avoid duplicating similar reward programs; and an assessment of the program's effectiveness. (3) The Secretary may submit the report in classified form if necessary. (g) Determinations by the Secretary. Any decision the Secretary makes under this section is final and cannot be challenged in court. (h) Report on Designation of Countries for Which Rewards May Be Paid. Within 15 days of naming a country as one where rewards may be paid under this section, the Secretary must report to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, stating: which country was named, why, and an estimate of how much in rewards is expected there.