238
nent for a period of at least one year’’ before 
the period; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(1), by inserting ‘‘or service 
in an active status in a reserve component’’ after 
‘‘active duty’’ each place it appears. 
(b) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA FOR BONUS.—Such sec-
tion is further amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘designated 
critical military skill’’ and inserting ‘‘critical military 
skill designated under subsection (b) or satisfies 
such other eligibility criteria established under such 
subsection’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking ‘‘DESIGNATION OF CRIT-
ICAL SKILLS.—’’ and inserting ‘‘ELIGIBILITY 
CRITERIA.—(1)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of 
Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when 
it is not operating as a service in the Navy, may establish 
such other criteria as the Secretary considers appropriate 
under which a retention bonus will be provided to a mem-
ber of the armed forces under subsection (a).’’; and
239
(3) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ‘‘members 
qualified in the critical military skills for which the 
bonuses were offered’’ and inserting ‘‘members of 
the armed forces who were offered a bonus under 
this section’’. 
(c) EXTENDED ELIGIBILITY PERIOD FOR CERTAIN 
MEMBERS.—Subsection (e) of such section is amended by 
striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) The limitations in paragraph (1) do not apply 
with respect to an officer who, during the period of active 
duty or service in an active status in a reserve component 
for which the bonus is being offered, is assigned duties 
as a health care professional. 
‘‘(3) The limitations in paragraph (1) do not apply 
with respect to a member who, during the period of active 
duty or service in an active status in a reserve component 
for which the bonus is being offered—
‘‘(A) is qualified in a skill designated as critical 
under subsection (b)(1) related to special operations 
forces; or 
‘‘(B) is qualified for duty in connection with the 
supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nu-
clear propulsion plants.’’.
240
(d) REPAYMENT REQUIREMENTS.—Subsection (g) of 
such section is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(g) REPAYMENT.—A member paid a bonus under 
this section who fails, during the period of service covered 
by the member’s agreement, reenlistment, or voluntary ex-
tension of enlistment under subsection (a), to remain 
qualified in the critical military skill or to satisfy the other 
eligibility criteria for which the bonus was paid shall be 
subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of 
this title.’’. 
(e) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
(1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of section 
323 of such title is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 323. Special pay: retention incentives for members 
qualified in a critical military skill or 
who satisfy other eligibility criteria’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 5 of such title is amend-
ed by striking the item relating to section 323 and 
inserting the following new item:
‘‘323. Special pay: retention incentives for members qualified in a critical mili-
tary skill or who satisfy other eligibility criteria.’’.
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 323(a) of title 37, 
United States Code, as amended by this section, shall 
apply to agreements, reenlistments, and the voluntary ex-
241
tension of enlistments referred to in subsection (a) of such 
section entered into on or after October 1, 2005. 
SEC. 628. AVAILABILITY OF CRITICAL-SKILLS ACCESSION 
BONUS FOR PERSONS ENROLLED IN SENIOR 
RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS WHO 
ARE OBTAINING NURSING DEGREES. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE BONUS.—Section 324 
of title 37, United States Code, as amended by section 
614(f) of this Act, is further amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as 
subsections (g) and (h), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(f) NURSE CANDIDATES IN SENIOR RESERVE OFFI-
CERS’ TRAINING CORPS.—(1) A person enrolled in the 
Senior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program of the 
Army for advanced training under chapter 103 of title 10, 
including a person receiving financial assistance under 
section 2107 of such title, may receive an accession bonus 
under this section if the person—
‘‘(A) has completed the second year of an ac-
credited baccalaureate degree program in nursing; 
and