§1596a — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary of Defense can give extra pay to a civilian DoD worker if three things are true: the Secretary has certified the worker as skilled in a foreign language the Department needs for national security, the worker’s job requires that language, and the worker is not already getting special pay under section 1596. The Secretary sets the pay rate, but it cannot be more than 5% of the worker’s basic pay. This extra pay is on top of any other pay or allowances the worker already gets. The Secretary of Defense must make rules to run this program.

Title 10, §1596a

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense may pay special pay under this section to an employee of the Department of Defense who—

(1)has been certified by the Secretary to be proficient in a foreign language identified by the Secretary as being a language in which proficiency by civilian personnel of the Department is necessary because of national security interests;

(2)is assigned duties requiring proficiency in that foreign language; and

(3)is not receiving special pay under section 1596 of this title.

(b)The rate of special pay for an employee under this section shall be prescribed by the Secretary, but may not exceed five percent of the employee’s rate of basic pay.

(c)Special pay under this section is in addition to any other pay or allowances to which the employee is entitled.

(d)The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 108–375 struck out “during a contingency operation supported by the armed forces” after “foreign language”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2004 Amendment Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XI, § 1102(b), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2072, provided that: “The amendment by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the first day of the first month that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2004].”

§1596a Foreign Language Proficiency: Special Pay for Proficiency Beneficial for Other National Security Interests