§1030 Bonus to Encourage Department of Defense Personnel to Refer Persons for Appointment as Officers to Serve in Health Professions

Summary

Pays up to $2,000 to certain people who refer someone who then becomes a commissioned officer in a military health job. Eligible referrers include regular and reserve service members, retired service members (including those under 60 who would otherwise get retired pay), and civilian employees of the military or Department of Defense. A referral happens when the referrer contacts a military recruiter about the candidate, or when the candidate tells the recruiter who first brought them in. No bonus if the person referred is an immediate family member, if the referrer works in recruiting or in a job the service says could create a conflict of interest, or if the referrer is a JROTC instructor or a retired person employed as one. The bonus can be paid up to $2,000: up to $1,000 when the recruit signs an agreement to serve at least three years as an officer in a health field, and up to $1,000 after the recruit finishes initial officer training. No referrals after December 31, 2011. The payment is not treated as a banned bounty, and retired members who get the bonus still keep any other pay or benefits they are due. The responsible official is the Secretary of the Army for Army matters, the Secretary of the Navy for Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard (when under the Navy), the Secretary of the Air Force for Air Force/Space Force, and the Secretary of Defense for Department of Defense personnel.