Under regulations prescribed under section 5738 of this title and subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, an agency may pay from its appropriations—

(1) travel expenses of a new appointee and transportation expenses of his immediate family and his household goods and personal effects from the place of actual residence at the time of appointment to the place of employment outside the continental United States;

(2) these expenses on the return of an employee from his post of duty outside the continental United States to the place of his actual residence at the time of assignment to duty outside the continental United States; and

(3) the expenses of transporting a privately owned motor vehicle as authorized under section 5727(c) of this title.

An agency may pay expenses under subsection (a)(1) of this section only after the individual selected for appointment agrees in writing to remain in the Government service for a minimum period of—

(1) one school year as determined under chapter 25 of title 20, if selected for appointment to a teaching position, except as a substitute, in the Department of Defense under that chapter; or

(2) 12 months after his appointment, if selected for appointment to any other position;

An agency may pay expenses under subsection (a)(2) of this section only after the individual has served for a minimum period of—

(1) one school year as determined under chapter 25 of title 20, if employed in a teaching position, except as a substitute, in the Department of Defense under that chapter; or

(2) not less than one nor more than 3 years prescribed in advance by the head of the agency, if employed in any other position;

This section does not apply to appropriations for the Foreign Service of the United States.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 501; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVII, §§ 1715(b)(1), 1723(b)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2755, 2759; Pub. L. 105–264, § 6(2), Oct. 19, 1998, 112 Stat. 2356.)