A person who enlists in an armed force for a period of at least 2 years may be paid a bonus in an amount not to exceed $40,000. The bonus may be paid in a single lump sum or in periodic installments.

A member who does not complete the term of enlistment for which a bonus was paid to the member under this section, or a member who is not technically qualified in the skill for which a bonus was paid to the member under this section, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of this title.

The enlistment bonus authorized by this section is not a bounty for purposes of section 514(a) of title 10.

This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense and by the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy.

No bonus shall be paid under this section with respect to any enlistment in the armed forces made after December 31, 2018.

(Added Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VI, § 624(a)(1)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–152; amended Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title VI, § 614(c), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1136; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(c), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title VI, § 614(c), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2568; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title VI, § 614(c), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1501; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VI, § 614(d), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1948; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VI, §§ 624(d), 635, 687(b)(20), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3295, 3300, 3330; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, § 614(d), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2248; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 614(c), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 149; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VI, § 614(d), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4485; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2354; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4237; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1450; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 781; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3401; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 839; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2159; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title VI, § 615(4), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1423.)