37 U.S.C. § 333 — Special bonus and incentive pay authorities for nuclear officers

submitted 18 years ago by Pub. L. 110-181 to r/title-37-PAY-AND-ALLOWANCES-OF-THE-UNIFORMED-SERVICES · 776 words · no verdicts yet

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The Navy Secretary may pay bonuses and incentive pay to officers who train for or perform nuclear propulsion duty. Bonuses can't exceed $75,000 per year of agreed service, and incentive pay can't exceed $25,000 per year. Officers must sign written agreements, and those who don't finish training or service must repay the money. No new agreements are allowed after December 31, 2026.

(a) Nuclear Officer Bonus — The Secretary of the Navy may pay a bonus to a person, including a Navy officer, who either (1) is chosen for the officer naval nuclear power training program and agrees to serve on active duty running nuclear propulsion plants after finishing training, or (2) is already qualified for that duty and agrees to stay on active duty doing it. (b) Nuclear Officer Incentive Pay — The Secretary may also pay incentive pay to a Navy officer who (1) is entitled to basic pay under section 204, and (2) stays on active duty for a set period while keeping the technical qualifications the Secretary approves for nuclear propulsion duty. (c) Additional Eligibility Criteria — The Secretary may add other requirements for getting the bonus or incentive pay, as the Secretary sees fit. (d) Maximum Amount and Method of Payment (1) The Secretary sets the amounts, but a bonus under (a) can't exceed $75,000 per 12-month period of the agreement, and incentive pay under (b) can't exceed $25,000 per 12-month period of qualifying service. (2) Payment can be a lump sum or installments. (3) Once the Secretary accepts the officer's written agreement, the total bonus amount is locked in. (e) Written Agreement for Bonus (1) To get a bonus, the person must sign a written agreement stating the bonus amount, how it will be paid, the period of service owed, and the type or conditions of that service. (2) An officer already serving under a bonus agreement can sign a new, higher-paying agreement instead, as long as the new obligation period is at least as long as what remained on the old one; the old agreement is then canceled, effective the day before the anniversary of the old agreement following the increase. (f) Relationship to Other Pay and Allowances — This bonus or incentive pay comes on top of an officer's other pay, except an officer can't collect both this payment and one under section 332 or 353 for the same skill and time period. (g) Repayment — An officer who takes the bonus or incentive pay but doesn't finish the training program, keep required qualifications, complete the service period, or meet the agreed conditions must repay the money under section 373. (h) Regulations — The Secretary of the Navy writes the regulations that govern this section. (i) Termination of Authority — No new agreement may be signed under this section after December 31, 2026.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a)Nuclear Officer Bonus.—

The Secretary of the Navy may pay a nuclear officer bonus under this section to a person, including an officer in the Navy, who—

(1)

is selected for the officer naval nuclear power training program in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants and agrees to serve, upon completion of such training, on active duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants; or

(2)

has the current technical qualification for duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants and agrees to remain on active duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

(b)Nuclear Officer Incentive Pay.—

The Secretary of the Navy may pay nuclear officer incentive pay under this section to an officer in the Navy who—

(1)

is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of this title; and

(2)

remains on active duty for a specified period while maintaining current technical qualifications, as approved by the Secretary, for duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.

(c)Additional Eligibility Criteria.—

The Secretary of the Navy may impose such additional criteria for the receipt of a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(d)Maximum Amount and Method of Payment.—

(1)Maximum amount.—

The Secretary of the Navy shall determine the amounts of a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay to be paid under this section, except that—

(A)

a nuclear officer bonus paid under subsection (a) may not exceed $75,000 for each 12-month period of the agreement under subsection (e); and

(B)

the amount of nuclear officer incentive paid under subsection (b) may not exceed $25,000 for each 12-month period of qualifying service.

(2)Lump sum or installments.—

A nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section may be paid in a lump sum or in periodic installments.

(3)Fixing bonus amount.—

Upon acceptance by the Secretary concerned of the written agreement required by subsection (e), the total amount of the nuclear officer bonus to be paid under the agreement shall be fixed.

(e)Written Agreement for Bonus.—

(1)Agreement required.—

To receive a nuclear officer bonus under subsection (a), a person or officer determined to be eligible for the bonus shall enter into a written agreement with the Secretary of the Navy that specifies—

(A)

the amount of the bonus;

(B)

the method of payment of the bonus under subsection (d)(2);

(C)

the period of obligated service; and

(D)

the type or conditions of the service.

(2)Replacement agreement.—

An officer who is performing obligated service under an agreement for a nuclear officer bonus may execute a new agreement to replace the existing agreement if the amount to be paid under the new agreement will be higher than the amount to be paid under the existing agreement. The period of the new agreement shall be equal to or exceed the remaining term of the period of the officer’s existing agreement. If a new agreement is executed under this paragraph, the existing agreement shall be cancelled, effective on the day before an anniversary date of the existing agreement occurring after the date on which the amount to be paid under this paragraph is increased.

(f)Relationship to Other Pay and Allowances.—

A nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay paid to a person or officer under this section is in addition to any other pay and allowance to which the person or officer is entitled, except that a person or officer may not receive a payment under this section and section 332 or 353 of this title for the same skill and period of service.

(g)Repayment.—

A person or officer who receives a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section and who fails to complete the officer naval nuclear power training program, maintain required technical and operational qualifications, complete the period of service, or meet the types or conditions of service for which the bonus or incentive pay is paid, as specified in the written agreement under subsection (e) in the case of a nuclear officer bonus, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 373 of this title.

(h)Regulations.—

This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.

(i)Termination of Authority.—

No agreement may be entered into under this section after December 31, 2026.

Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 661(a)(2), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 166; amended Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VI, § 618(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4486; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2353; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4237; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1450; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 781; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3400; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, §§ 614(3), 616, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 839; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2158; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VI, § 614(3), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1422; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1797; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1426; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3673; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1769; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title VI, §§ 601(c), 602(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2619, 2620; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VI, § 613(c), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 291; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1932; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, § 611(c), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 906.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

2008Enacted · Pub. L. 110-181 · 122 Stat. 166
2008Amended · Pub. L. 110-417 · 122 Stat. 4486
2009Amended · Pub. L. 111-84 · 123 Stat. 2353
2011Amended · Pub. L. 111-383 · 124 Stat. 4237
2011Amended · Pub. L. 112-81 · 125 Stat. 1450
2013Amended · Pub. L. 112-239 · 126 Stat. 1777
2013Amended · Pub. L. 113-66 · 127 Stat. 781
2014Amended · Pub. L. 113-291 · 128 Stat. 3400
2015Amended · Pub. L. 114-92 · 129 Stat. 839
2016Amended · Pub. L. 114-328 · 130 Stat. 2158
2017Amended · Pub. L. 115-91 · 131 Stat. 1422
2018Amended · Pub. L. 115-232 · 132 Stat. 1797
2019Amended · Pub. L. 116-92 · 133 Stat. 1426
2021Amended · Pub. L. 116-283 · 134 Stat. 3673
2021Amended · Pub. L. 117-81 · 135 Stat. 1769
2022Amended · Pub. L. 117-263 · 136 Stat. 2619, 2620
2023Amended · Pub. L. 118-31 · 137 Stat. 291
2024Amended · Pub. L. 118-159 · 138 Stat. 1932
2025Amended · Pub. L. 119-60 · 139 Stat. 906

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 110-181 on 2008-01-28.

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