§ 331. General bonus authority for enlisted members

1,310 words·~6 min read·/usc/title-37/section-331

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(a)Authority to Provide Bonus.— The Secretary concerned may pay a bonus under this section to a person, including a member of the armed forces, who—

(1)enlists in an armed force;

(2)enlists in or affiliates with a reserve component of an armed force;

(3)reenlists, voluntarily extends an enlistment, or otherwise agrees to serve—

(A)for a specified period in a designated career field, skill, or unit of an armed force; or

(B)under other conditions of service in an armed force;

(4)transfers from a regular component of an armed force to a reserve component of that same armed force or from a reserve component of an armed force to the regular component of that same armed force;

(5)transfers from a regular component or reserve component of an armed force to a regular component or reserve component of another armed force, subject to the approval of the Secretary with jurisdiction over the armed force to which the member is transferring; or

(6)transfers from a regular component or reserve component of an armed force to the Space Force or from the Space Force to a regular component or reserve component of another armed force, subject to the approval of the Secretary with jurisdiction over the armed force to which the member is transferring.

(b)Service Eligibility.— A bonus authorized by subsection

(a)may be paid to a person or member only if the person or member agrees under subsection (d)—

(1)to serve for a specified period in a designated career field, skill, unit, or grade; or

(2)to meet some other condition or conditions of service imposed by the Secretary concerned.

(c)Maximum Amount and Method of Payment.—

(1)Maximum amount.— The Secretary concerned shall determine the amount of a bonus to be paid under this section, except that—

(A)a bonus paid under paragraph

(1)or

(2)of subsection

(a)may not exceed $75,000 for a minimum two-year period of obligated service agreed to under subsection (d);

(B)a bonus paid under paragraph

(3)of subsection

(a)may not exceed $50,000 for each year of obligated service in a regular component, or in the Space Force on sustained duty under section 20105 of title 10, agreed to under subsection (d);

(C)a bonus paid under paragraph

(3)of subsection

(a)may not exceed $15,000 for each year of obligated service in a reserve component, or in the Space Force in space force active status not on sustained duty under section 20105 of title 10, agreed to under subsection (d); and

(D)a bonus paid under paragraph (4), (5), or

(6)of subsection

(a)may not exceed $10,000.

(2)Lump sum or installments.— A bonus under this section may be paid in a lump sum or in periodic installments, as determined by the Secretary concerned.

(3)Fixing bonus amount.— Upon acceptance by the Secretary concerned of the written agreement required by subsection (d), the total amount of the bonus to be paid under the agreement shall be fixed.

(d)Written Agreement.— To receive a bonus under this section, a person or member determined to be eligible for the bonus shall enter into a written agreement with the Secretary concerned that specifies—

(1)the amount of the bonus;

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

(3)the period of obligated service; and

(4)the type or conditions of the service.

(e)Relationship to Other Pay and Allowances.— A bonus paid to a person or member under this section is in addition to any other pay and allowance to which the person or member is entitled.

(f)Relationship to Prohibition on Bounties.— A bonus authorized under this section is not a bounty for purposes of section 514(a) of title 10.

(g)Repayment.— A person or member who receives a bonus under this section and who fails to complete the period of service, or meet the conditions of service, for which the bonus is paid, as specified in the written agreement under subsection (d), shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 373 of this title.

(h)Termination of Authority.— No agreement may be entered into under this section after December 31, 2026.

(Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 661(a)(2), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 163; amended Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2353; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4237; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1450; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 780; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3400;

Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 838; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2158; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VI, § 614(1), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1422; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VI, § 611(d)(1), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1797; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VI, § 611(d)(1), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1426; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title VI, § 611(d)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3673; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VI, § 611(d)(1), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1769;

Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title VI, §§ 601(d)(1), 602(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2619, 2620; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VI, § 613(d)(1), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 291; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VI, § 611(d)(1), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1932; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, §§ 601(c)(1), 611(d)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 902, 906.)

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