Title 37 — Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed ServicesRelease 119-83
§333 Special Bonus and Incentive Pay Authorities for Nuclear Officers
Title 37 › Chapter 5— SPECIAL AND INCENTIVE PAYS › Subchapter II— CONSOLIDATION OF SPECIAL PAY, INCENTIVE PAY, AND BONUS AUTHORITIES › § 333
Summary
The Secretary of the Navy may pay bonuses and incentive pay to people, including Navy officers, who either are chosen for naval nuclear power training and agree to serve afterward, or who already have the required technical qualification and agree to stay on active duty doing nuclear propulsion work. Officers who get basic pay and stay on active duty while keeping their qualifications can get incentive pay. The Secretary can set extra rules for who gets pay. The Secretary decides the pay amounts but bonuses cannot be more than $75,000 for each 12-month period and incentive pay cannot be more than $25,000 for each 12-month period. Payments can be one lump sum or split up. A written agreement is required that says the amount, how it will be paid, the service time, and the conditions. The pay is extra to other pay, but someone may not get these payments and payments under sections 332 or 353 for the same skill and time. If someone fails to meet the agreement, they must repay under section 373. No new agreements can be made after December 31, 2026.
Full Legal Text
Title 37, §333
Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of the Navy may pay a nuclear officer bonus under this section to a person, including an officer in the Navy, who—
(1)is selected for the officer naval nuclear power training program in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants and agrees to serve, upon completion of such training, on active duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants; or
(2)has the current technical qualification for duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants and agrees to remain on active duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.
(b)The Secretary of the Navy may pay nuclear officer incentive pay under this section to an officer in the Navy who—
(1)is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of this title; and
(2)remains on active duty for a specified period while maintaining current technical qualifications, as approved by the Secretary, for duty in connection with the supervision, operation, and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plants.
(c)The Secretary of the Navy may impose such additional criteria for the receipt of a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(d)(1)The Secretary of the Navy shall determine the amounts of a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay to be paid under this section, except that—
(A)a nuclear officer bonus paid under subsection (a) may not exceed $75,000 for each 12-month period of the agreement under subsection (e); and
(B)the amount of nuclear officer incentive paid under subsection (b) may not exceed $25,000 for each 12-month period of qualifying service.
(2)A nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section may be paid in a lump sum or in periodic installments.
(3)Upon acceptance by the Secretary concerned of the written agreement required by subsection (e), the total amount of the nuclear officer bonus to be paid under the agreement shall be fixed.
(e)(1)To receive a nuclear officer bonus under subsection (a), a person or officer determined to be eligible for the bonus shall enter into a written agreement with the Secretary of the Navy that specifies—
(A)the amount of the bonus;
(B)the method of payment of the bonus under subsection (d)(2);
(C)the period of obligated service; and
(D)the type or conditions of the service.
(2)An officer who is performing obligated service under an agreement for a nuclear officer bonus may execute a new agreement to replace the existing agreement if the amount to be paid under the new agreement will be higher than the amount to be paid under the existing agreement. The period of the new agreement shall be equal to or exceed the remaining term of the period of the officer’s existing agreement. If a new agreement is executed under this paragraph, the existing agreement shall be cancelled, effective on the day before an anniversary date of the existing agreement occurring after the date on which the amount to be paid under this paragraph is increased.
(f)A nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay paid to a person or officer under this section is in addition to any other pay and allowance to which the person or officer is entitled, except that a person or officer may not receive a payment under this section and section 332 or 353 of this title for the same skill and period of service.
(g)A person or officer who receives a nuclear officer bonus or nuclear officer incentive pay under this section and who fails to complete the officer naval nuclear power training program, maintain required technical and operational qualifications, complete the period of service, or meet the types or conditions of service for which the bonus or incentive pay is paid, as specified in the written agreement under subsection (e) in the case of a nuclear officer bonus, shall be subject to the repayment provisions of section 373 of this title.
(h)This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Navy.
(i)No agreement may be entered into under this section after December 31, 2026.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2025—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 119–60 substituted “
December 31, 2026” for “
December 31, 2025”. 2024—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 118–159 substituted “
December 31, 2025” for “
December 31, 2024”. 2023—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “
December 31, 2024” for “
December 31, 2023”. 2022—Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 117–263, § 602(b), substituted “$75,000” for “$50,000”. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 117–263, § 601(c), substituted “
December 31, 2023” for “
December 31, 2022”. 2021—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 117–81 substituted “
December 31, 2022” for “
December 31, 2021”. Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “
December 31, 2021” for “
December 31, 2020”. 2019—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 116–92 substituted “
December 31, 2020” for “
December 31, 2019”. 2018—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “
December 31, 2019” for “
December 31, 2018”. 2017—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 115–91 substituted “
December 31, 2018” for “
December 31, 2017”. 2016—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “
December 31, 2017” for “
December 31, 2016”. 2015—Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 114–92, § 616, substituted “$50,000” for “$35,000”. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 114–92, § 614(3), substituted “
December 31, 2016” for “
December 31, 2015”. 2014—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “
December 31, 2015” for “
December 31, 2014”. 2013—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 113–66 substituted “
December 31, 2014” for “
December 31, 2013”. Pub. L. 112–239 substituted “
December 31, 2013” for “
December 31, 2012”. 2011—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 112–81 substituted “
December 31, 2012” for “
December 31, 2011”. Pub. L. 111–383 substituted “
December 31, 2011” for “
December 31, 2010”. 2009—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 111–84 substituted “
December 31, 2010” for “
December 31, 2009”. 2008—Subsecs. (a)(2), (b)(2). Pub. L. 110–417 struck out “and operational” after “current technical”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
37 U.S.C. § 333
Title 37 — Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services
Last Updated
Apr 18, 2026
Release point: 119-83