Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§1596c Programming Language Proficiency: Special Pay for Proficiency Beneficial for National Security Interests

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part II— PERSONNEL › Chapter 81— CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES › § 1596c

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense alone can give extra pay to a civilian employee in the Department of Defense if the Secretary has certified the employee is skilled in a computer or digital programming language the Secretary says is needed for national security, and the employee’s job requires that skill. The Secretary sets the pay amount but it cannot be more than 20 percent of the employee’s basic pay. This extra pay is added on top of any other pay or allowances the employee gets. The Secretary must create rules to run this program.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1596c

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense, under the sole and exclusive discretion of the Secretary, 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 computer or digital programming 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; and

(2)is assigned duties requiring proficiency in that programming language.

(b)The rate of special pay for an employee under this section shall be prescribed by the Secretary, but may not exceed 20 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1596c

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60