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Title 37 — Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed ServicesRelease 119-73

§321 Special pay: judge advocate continuation pay

Title 37 › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - SPECIAL AND INCENTIVE PAYS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - EXISTING SPECIAL PAY, INCENTIVE PAY, AND BONUS AUTHORITIES › § 321

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Pays continuation money to judge advocates who sign a written agreement to stay on active duty for a set time and whose agreement the Secretary accepts. The total paid to an officer under one or more of these agreements cannot be more than $60,000. Eligible judge advocate — a full‑time active duty officer who is qualified and serving as a judge advocate and who has finished the active‑duty service obligation from their original commission or, if detailed under section 2004 of title 10 or section 470 of title 14, the service obligation for that detail. The length and amount of the agreement can be prorated. Once the Secretary accepts the agreement, the total pay is fixed and the Secretary will set a payment schedule. The pay is extra to regular pay. If an officer gets money but does not complete the agreed service, they must repay under section 303a(e). The Secretary must write rules to run the program.

Full Legal Text

Title 37, §321

Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “eligible judge advocate” means an officer of the armed forces on full-time active duty who—
(1)is qualified and serving as a judge advocate, as defined in section 801 of title 10; and
(2)has completed—
(A)the active duty service obligation incurred through the officer’s original commissioning program; or
(B)in the case of an officer detailed under section 2004 of title 10 or section 470 11 See References in Text note below. of title 14, the active duty service obligation incurred as part of that detail.
(b)An eligible judge advocate who executes a written agreement to remain on active duty for a period of obligated service specified in the agreement may, upon the acceptance of the agreement by the Secretary concerned, be paid continuation pay under this section. The total amount paid to an officer under one or more agreements under this section may not exceed $60,000.
(c)The term of an agreement under subsection (b) and the amount payable under the agreement may be prorated.
(d)Upon acceptance of an agreement under subsection (b) by the Secretary concerned, the total amount payable pursuant to the agreement becomes fixed. The Secretary shall prepare an implementation plan specifying the amount of each installment payment under the agreement and the times for payment of the installments.
(e)Any amount paid to an officer under this section is in addition to any other pay and allowances to which the officer is entitled.
(f)An officer who has entered into a written agreement under subsection (b) and has received all or part of the amount payable under the agreement but who does not complete the total period of active duty specified in the agreement, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 303a(e) of this title.
(g)The Secretary concerned shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 470 of title 14, referred to in subsec. (a)(2)(B), was redesignated section 2770 of title 14 by Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 116(b)(2), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4226, and references to section 470 of title 14 deemed to refer to such redesignated section, see section 123(b)(1) of Pub. L. 115–282, set out as a References to Sections of Title 14 as Redesignated by Pub. L. 115–282 note preceding section 101 of Title 14, Coast Guard.

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 109–163 amended heading and text of subsec. (f) generally, substituting provisions referring to repayment provisions of section 303a(e) for specific provisions relating to repayment required when officer fails to complete total period of agreed upon active duty.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 629(c), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 661, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall take effect on October 1, 1999.”

Savings Provision

For

Savings Provision

relating to payment or repayment of any bonus, incentive pay, special pay, or similar pay obligated to be paid before Apr. 1, 2006, under a provision of this section amended by section 687(b) of Pub. L. 109–163, see section 687(f) of Pub. L. 109–163, set out as a note under section 510 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

37 U.S.C. § 321

Title 37 — Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73