An officer of a reserve component of the armed forces described in subsection (b) who executes a written agreement under which the officer agrees to serve in the Selected Reserve of an armed force for a period of not less than one year nor more than three years, beginning on the date the officer accepts the award of special pay under this section, may be paid special pay at an annual rate not to exceed $25,000.

An officer referred to in subsection (a) is an officer in a health care profession who is qualified in a specialty designated by regulations as a critically short wartime specialty.

Special pay under this section shall be paid annually at the beginning of each twelve-month period for which the officer has agreed to serve.

An officer who does not complete the period of service in the Selected Reserve specified in the agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of this title.

No agreement under this section may be entered into after December 31, 2018.

(Added Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title VI, § 614(a)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 360; amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title VI, § 611(a), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2543; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title VI, § 611(a), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1785; Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VI, § 611(a), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2038; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 611(a), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 649; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VI, § 621(a)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–151; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title VI, § 611(a), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1135; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title VI, § 612(e), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2567; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title VI, § 612(e), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1501; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VI, § 612(e), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1947; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VI, §§ 622(e), 687(b)(10), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3294, 3329; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, §§ 612(e), 616(a), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2248, 2249; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 612(e), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 148; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VI, § 612(e), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4484; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2353; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4236; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1449; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1776; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 780; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3400; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 838; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2158; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VI, § 612(b)(4), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1422.)