--- kind: "section" citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1599c" title: "10" title_heading: "Armed Forces" number: "1599c" heading: "Health care professionals: enhanced appointment and compensation authority for personnel for care and treatment of wounded and injured members of the armed forces" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1599c" units: - "Subtitle A — General Military Law" - "Part II — Personnel" - "Chapter 81 — Civilian Employees" --- # §1599c. Health care professionals: enhanced appointment and compensation authority for personnel for care and treatment of wounded and injured members of the armed forces - (a) **In General.—** - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may, at the discretion of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3), exercise any authority for the appointment and [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) of [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) personnel under [chapter 74](/usc/38/chptV/ch74.md) of title 38 for purposes of the recruitment, employment, and retention of civilian [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) professionals for the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines that the exercise of such authority is necessary in order to provide or enhance the capacity of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) to provide care and treatment for members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) who are wounded or injured on [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1) in the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) and to support the ongoing patient care and medical readiness, education, and [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) requirements of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense. - (2) - (A) For purposes of [section 3304 of title 5](/usc/5/3304.md), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may— - (i) designate any category of medical or health professional positions within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense as a shortage category occupation or critical need occupation; and - (ii) utilize the authority in such section to recruit and appoint qualified [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) directly in the competitive service to positions so designated. - (B) In using the authority provided by this paragraph, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall apply the principles of preference for the hiring of veterans and other [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) established in subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5. - (C) Any designation by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) for purposes of [subparagraph (A)(i)](#a-2-A-i) shall be based on an analysis of current and future [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense workforce requirements. - (b) **Termination of Authority.—** - (1) The authority of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense under [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1) to exercise authorities available under [chapter 74](/usc/38/chptV/ch74.md) of title 38 for purposes of the recruitment, employment, and retention of civilian [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) professionals for the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense expires December 31, 2030. - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may not appoint a [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) to a position of employment under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2) after December 31, 2030. ## Source credit (Added Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title XI, § 1104(a), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1236; amended Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XVI, § 1636(a), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 463; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title XI, § 1107, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4617; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(b)(22), title XI, § 1104, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4370, 4383; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title XI, § 1109, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 890; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XI, § 1116, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3897; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VII, § 712, Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1947.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Prior Provisions A prior section 1599c, added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVI, § 1615(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2740; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(31), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1902, related to treatment of a Department of Defense violation of veterans’ preference requirements as a prohibited personnel practice, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–339, § 6(c)(1)(A), Oct. 31, 1998, 112 Stat. 3188. ### Amendments 2024—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–159 substituted “December 31, 2030” for “December 31, 2025” in pars. (1) and (2). 2021—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “December 31, 2025” for “December 31, 2020” in pars. (1) and (2). 2013—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 113–66, § 1109(c)(1), substituted “section 3304 of title 5” for “sections 3304, 5333, and 5753 of title 5” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(2)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 113–66, § 1109(c)(2), substituted “the authority in such section” for “the authorities in such sections”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–66, § 1109(b), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which related to recruitment of personnel. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–66, § 1109(b)(2), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b). Pub. L. 113–66, § 1109(a), substituted “December 31, 2020” for “December 31, 2015” in pars. (1) and (2). 2011—Subsec. (a)(2)(A)(i). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1104(a)(1)(A), substituted “a shortage category occupation or critical need occupation” for “shortage category positions”. Subsec. (a)(2)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1104(a)(1)(B), substituted “qualified persons directly in the competitive service” for “highly qualified persons directly”. Subsec. (a)(2)(B). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1075(b)(22), substituted “subchapter I” for “subchapter 1”. Subsec. (a)(2)(C). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1104(a)(2), added subpar. (C). Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1104(b)(1), inserted “under subsection (a)(1)” after “Secretary of Defense” and substituted “December 31, 2015” for “September 30, 2012”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1104(b)(2), substituted “December 31, 2015” for “September 30, 2012”. 2008—Pub. L. 110–181 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to appointment in excepted service of certain health care professionals. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–417, § 1107(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–417, § 1107(b), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “September 30, 2012” for “September 30, 2010”, and added par. (2). ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Wage Rate Adjustment for Certain Health Care Occupations Pub. L. 112–10, div. A, title VIII, § 8086, Apr. 15, 2011, 125 Stat. 76, provided that: “Notwithstanding any other provision of law or regulation, during the current fiscal year and hereafter, the Secretary of Defense may adjust wage rates for civilian employees hired for certain health care occupations as authorized for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by section 7455 of title 38, United States Code.”