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‘‘(b) MEMBERS ELIGIBLE FOR RETENTION BONUS.—
Subject to subsection (d), an officer or enlisted member is
eligible under subsection (a)(1) for a retention bonus under
this section if the member—
‘‘(1) is qualified in a military skill or specialty
designated as critical for purposes of this section
under subsection (c); or
‘‘(2) agrees to train or retrain in a military skill
or specialty so designated as critical.
‘‘(c) DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL SKILLS OR SPECIAL-
TIES AND HIGH PRIORITY UNITS.—The Secretary con-
cerned shall—
‘‘(1) designate the military skills and specialties
that shall be treated as critical military skills and
specialties for purposes of this section; and
‘‘(2) designate the units that shall be treated as
high priority units for purposes of this section.
‘‘(d) CERTAIN MEMBERS INELIGIBLE.—A bonus may
not be paid under subsection (a) to a member of the armed
forces who—
‘‘(1) has completed more than 25 years of quali-
fying service under section 12732 of title 10; or
‘‘(2) will complete the member’s twenty-fifth year
of qualifying service under section 12732 of title 10
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before the end of the period of service for which the
bonus is being offered.
‘‘(e) MAXIMUM BONUS AMOUNT.—A member may
enter into an agreement under this section, or reenlist or
voluntarily extend the member’s enlistment, more than once
to receive a bonus under this section. However, a member
may not receive a total of more than $100,000 in payments
under this section.
‘‘(f) PAYMENT METHODS.—(1) A bonus under sub-
section (a) may be paid in a single lump sum or in install-
ments.
‘‘(2) In the case of a member who agrees to train or
retrain in a military skill or specialty designated as critical
under subsection (b)(2), no payment may be made until the
member successfully completes the training or retraining
and is qualified in such skill or specialty.
‘‘(g) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER INCENTIVES.—A bonus
paid to a member under subsection (a) is in addition to
any other pay and allowances to which the member is enti-
tled under any other provision of law.
‘‘(h) REPAYMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMMENCE OR
COMPLETE OBLIGATED SERVICE.—(1) An individual who,
after receiving all or part of the bonus under an agreement,
or a reenlistment or voluntary extension of enlistment, re-
ferred to in subsection (a), does not commence to serve in
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the Selected Reserve, or does not satisfactorily participate
in the Selected Reserve for the total period of service speci-
fied in the agreement, or under such reenlistment or vol-
untary extension of enlistment, as applicable, shall repay
to the United States such bonus, except under conditions
established by the Secretary concerned.
‘‘(2) The Secretary concerned shall establish, in accord-
ance with the regulations prescribed under subsection (i)—
‘‘(A) whether repayment of a bonus under para-
graph (1) is required in whole or in part;
‘‘(B) the method for computing the amount of
such repayment; and
‘‘(C) the conditions under which an exception to
repayment otherwise required under that paragraph
would apply.
‘‘(3) An obligation to repay the United States imposed
under paragraph (1) is for all purposes a debt owed to the
United States. A discharge in bankruptcy under title 11
that is entered less than 5 years after the termination of
an agreement under subsection (a), or a reenlistment or vol-
untary extension of enlistment under subsection (a), does
not discharge the individual signing the agreement, re-
enlisting, or voluntarily extending enlistment, as applica-
ble, from a debt arising under paragraph (1).