---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1030"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1030"
heading: "Bonus to encourage Department of Defense personnel to refer persons for appointment as officers to serve in health professions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1030"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 53 — Miscellaneous Rights and Benefits"
---

# §1030. Bonus to encourage Department of Defense personnel to refer persons for appointment as officers to serve in health professions

- (a) **Authority To Pay Bonus.—**
  - (1) **Authority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may authorize the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) a bonus under this section to an individual referred to in [paragraph (2)](#a-2) who refers to a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) recruiter a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who has not previously served in an armed force and, after such referral, takes an oath of enlistment that leads to appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), or accepts an appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), in an armed force in a health profession designated by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) for purposes of this section.
  - (2) **Individuals eligible for bonus.—** Subject to [subsection (c)](#c), the following individuals are eligible for a referral bonus under this section:
    - (A) A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) in a [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4).
    - (B) A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) in a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4).
    - (C) A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) in a retired status, including a member under 60 years of age who, but for age, would be eligible for retired or retainer [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15).
    - (D) A civilian employee of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
- (b) **Referral.—** For purposes of this section, a referral for which a bonus may be paid under [subsection (a)](#a) occurs—
  - (1) when the individual concerned contacts a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) recruiter on behalf of a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) interested in taking an oath of enlistment that leads to appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), or accepting an appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), as applicable, in an armed force in a health profession; or
  - (2) when a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) interested in taking an oath of enlistment that leads to appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), or accepting an appointment as a [commissioned officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-2), as applicable, in an armed force in a health profession contacts a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) recruiter and informs the recruiter of the role of the individual concerned in initially recruiting the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
- (c) **Certain Referrals Ineligible.—**
  - (1) **Referral of immediate family.—** A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) or civilian employee of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense may not be paid a bonus under [subsection (a)](#a) for the referral of an immediate family member.
  - (2) **Members in recruiting roles.—** A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) or civilian employee of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense serving in a recruiting or retention assignment, or assigned to other duties regarding which eligibility for a bonus under [subsection (a)](#a) could (as determined by the appropriate [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)) be perceived as creating a conflict of interest, may not be paid a bonus under [subsection (a)](#a).
  - (3) **Junior reserve officers’ training corps instructors.—** A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) detailed under subsection (c)(1) of [section 2031 of this title](/usc/10/2031.md) to serve as an [administrator](/usc/10/2700.md?p=3) or instructor in the Junior [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [Officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’ [Training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) Corps [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) or a retired member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) employed as an [administrator](/usc/10/2700.md?p=3) or instructor in the [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) under [subsection (d)](/usc/10/2031.md?p=d) of such section may not be paid a bonus under [subsection (a)](#a).
- (d) **Amount of Bonus.—** The amount of the bonus payable for a referral under [subsection (a)](#a) may not exceed $2,000. The amount shall be payable as provided in [subsection (e)](#e).
- (e) **Payment.—** A bonus payable for a referral of a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be paid as follows:
  - (1) Not more than $1,000 shall be paid upon the execution by the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of an agreement to serve as an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1) in a health profession in an armed force for not less than three years.
  - (2) Not more than $1,000 shall be paid upon the completion by the [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of the initial period of [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) as an [officer](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1).
- (f) **Relation to Prohibition on Bounties.—** The referral bonus authorized by this section is not a bounty for purposes of [section 514(a) of this title](/usc/10/514.md?p=a).
- (g) **Coordination With Receipt of Retired Pay.—** A bonus paid under this section to a member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) in a retired status is in addition to any compensation to which the member is entitled under this title, title [37](/usc/37.md) or [38](/usc/38.md), or any other provision of law.
- (h) **Appropriate Secretary Defined.—** In this section, the term “appropriate [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)” means—
  - (1) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the Army, with respect to matters concerning the Army;
  - (2) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the Navy, with respect to matters concerning the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Navy;
  - (3) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of the Air Force, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force and the Space Force; and
  - (4) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, with respect to personnel of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense.
- (i) **Duration of Authority.—** A bonus may not be paid under [subsection (a)](#a) with respect to any referral that occurs after December 31, 2011.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VI, § 671(b)(1), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 182; amended Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title VI, § 615(a), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4485; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title VI, § 616(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2354; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title VI, § 616(1), title X, § 1075(b)(15), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4238, 4369; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 924(b)(23), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3824.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (h)(3). Pub. L. 116–283 inserted “and the Space Force” after “concerning the Air Force”.

2011—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1075(b)(15), substituted “three years.” for “3 years,”.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 111–383, § 616(1), substituted “December 31, 2011” for “December 31, 2010”.

2009—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 111–84 substituted “December 31, 2010” for “December 31, 2009”.

2008—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “December 31, 2009” for “December 31, 2008”.