§3036 Career Flexibility to Enhance Retention of Officers

Summary

Allows the Secretary to run a program that lets officers step off active duty for personal or work reasons and then come back. An officer can be away up to 3 years. While away, the officer must sign a written agreement to do required inactive training set by the NOAA Director to keep skills and fitness up. The officer also agrees to serve 2 months on active duty for each month they were away. Time away does not count toward retirement eligibility or retired pay. But while away the officer and dependents are treated as on active duty for more than 30 days for medical and dental care and for disability retirement or separation rules. Each month away the officer gets basic pay equal to two‑thirtieths of the monthly active‑duty pay they had when they started the program. They cannot get special or incentive pay or bonuses while away. Any such bonus agreement in force when they left will be suspended and may be revived when they return, unless the law no longer allows it or the officer no longer meets eligibility; if they become ineligible they may have to repay amounts as their bonus agreement requires. The officer may carry up to a 60‑day leave balance forward. The officer is not eligible for promotion while away but becomes eligible again on return; the Secretary can adjust the officer’s date of rank. The Secretary must make rules for the program and can require a participating officer to return to active duty. Travel and moving allowances to a single U.S. residence and back are allowed under the travel law.