---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1596a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1596a"
heading: "Foreign language proficiency: special pay for proficiency beneficial for other national security interests"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1596a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 81 — Civilian Employees"
---

# §1596a. Foreign language proficiency: special pay for proficiency beneficial for other national security interests

- (a) **Authority.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) special [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) under this section to an employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense who—
  - (1) has been certified by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to be proficient in a foreign language identified by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) as being a language in which proficiency by civilian personnel of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) is necessary because of [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) interests;
  - (2) is assigned duties requiring proficiency in that foreign language; and
  - (3) is not receiving special [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) under [section 1596 of this title](/usc/10/1596.md).
- (b) **Rate.—** The [rate](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9) of special [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) for an employee under this section shall be prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3), but may not exceed five percent of the employee’s [rate](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9) of basic [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15).
- (c) **Relationship to Other Pay and Allowances.—** Special [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) under this section is in addition to any other [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) or allowances to which the employee is entitled.
- (d) **Regulations.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title XI, § 1131(a)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–317; amended Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XI, § 1102(a), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2072.)

## Notes

### 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].”