§1175. Voluntary separation incentive

(a) Consistent with this section and the availability of appropriations for this purpose, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation may provide a financial incentive to members of the armed forces described in subsection (b) for voluntary appointment, enlistment, or transfer to a reserve component, requested and approved under subsection (c), for the period of time the member serves in a reserve component.

(b) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation may provide the incentive to a member of the armed forces if the member-

(1) has served on active duty or full-time National Guard duty or any combination of active duty and full-time National Guard duty for more than 6 but less than 20 years;

(2) has served at least 5 years of continuous active duty or full-time National Guard duty or any combination of active duty and full-time National Guard duty immediately preceding the date of separation;

(3) meets such other requirements as the Secretary may prescribe from time to time, which may include requirements relating to-

(A) years of service;

(B) skill or rating;

(C) grade or rank; and

(D) remaining period of obligated service.

(c) A member of the armed forces offered a voluntary separation incentive under this section shall be offered the opportunity to request separation under a program established pursuant to section 1174a of this title. If the Secretary concerned approves a request for separation under either such section, the member shall be separated under the authority of the section selected by such member.

(d)(1) A member of the armed forces described in subsection (b) may request voluntary appointment, enlistment, or transfer to a reserve component accompanied by this incentive, provided the member has completed 6 years of active service.

(2) The Secretary, in his discretion, may approve or disapprove a request according to the needs of the armed forces.

(3) After September 30, 1999, the Secretary may not approve a request.

(e)(1) The annual payment of the incentive shall equal 2.5 percent of the monthly basic pay the member receives on the date appointed, enlisted, or transferred to the reserve component, multiplied by twelve and multiplied again by the member's years of service. The annual payment will be made for a period equal to the number of years that is equal to twice the number of years of service of the member.

(2) A member entitled to voluntary separation incentive payments who is also entitled to basic pay for active or reserve service, or compensation for inactive duty training, may elect to have a reduction in the voluntary separation incentive payable for the same period in an amount not to exceed the amount of the basic pay or compensation received for that period.

(3) A member who has received the voluntary separation incentive and who qualifies for retired or retainer pay under this title shall have deducted from each payment of such retired or retainer pay so much of such pay as is based on the service for which he received the voluntary separation incentive until the total amount deducted equals the total amount of voluntary separation incentive received. If the member elected to have a reduction in voluntary separation incentive for any period pursuant to paragraph (2), the deduction required under the preceding sentence shall be reduced accordingly.

(4) A member who is receiving voluntary separation incentive payments shall not be deprived of this incentive by reason of entitlement to disability compensation under the laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, but there shall be deducted from voluntary separation incentive payments an amount equal to the amount of any such disability compensation concurrently received. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, no deduction may be made from voluntary separation incentive payments for any disability compensation received because of an earlier period of active duty if the voluntary separation incentive is received because of discharge or release from a later period of active duty.

(5) The years of service of a member for purposes of this section shall be computed in accordance with section 1405 of this title.

(f) The member's right to incentive payments shall not be transferable, except that the member may designate beneficiaries to receive the payments in the event of the member's death.

(g) Subject to subsection (h), payments under this provision shall be paid from appropriations available to the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation for the Coast Guard.

(h)(1) There is established on the books of the Treasury a fund to be known as the "Voluntary Separation Incentive Fund" (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the "Fund"). The Fund shall be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Fund shall be used for the accumulation of funds in order to finance on an actuarially sound basis the liabilities of the Department of Defense under this section.

(2) There shall be deposited in the Fund the following, which shall constitute the assets of the Fund:

(A) Amounts paid into the Fund under paragraphs (5), (6), and (7).

(B) Any amount appropriated to the Fund.

(C) Any return on investment of the assets of the Fund.

(3) All voluntary separation incentive payments made by the Secretary of Defense after December 31, 1992, under this section shall be paid out of the Fund. To the extent provided in appropriation Acts, the assets of the Fund shall be available to the Secretary to pay voluntary separation incentives under this section.

(4) The Department of Defense Retirement Board of Actuaries (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the "Board") shall perform the same functions regarding the Fund, as provided in this subsection, as such Board performs regarding the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund.

(5) Not later than January 1, 1993, the Board shall determine the amount that is the present value, as of that date, of the future benefits payable under this section in the case of persons who are separated pursuant to this section before that date. The amount so determined is the original unfunded liability of the Fund. The Board shall determine an appropriate amortization period and schedule for liquidation of the original unfunded liability. The Secretary shall make deposits to the Fund in accordance with that amortization schedule.

(6) For persons separated under this section on or after January 1, 1993, the Secretary shall deposit in the Fund during the period beginning on that date and ending on September 30, 1999-

(A) such sums as are necessary to pay the current liabilities under this section during such period; and

(B) the amount equal to the present value, as of September 30, 1999, of the future benefits payable under this section, as determined by the Board.

(7)(A) For each fiscal year after fiscal year 1999, the Board shall-

(i) carry out an actuarial valuation of the Fund and determine any unfunded liability of the Fund which deposits under paragraphs (5) and (6) do not liquidate, taking into consideration any cumulative actuarial gain or loss to the Fund;

(ii) determine the period over which that unfunded liability should be liquidated; and

(iii) determine for the following fiscal year, the total amount, and the monthly amount, of the Department of Defense contributions that must be made to the Fund during that fiscal year in order to fund the unfunded liabilities of the Fund over the applicable amortization periods.

(B) The Board shall carry out its responsibilities for each fiscal year in sufficient time for the amounts referred to in subparagraph (A)(iii) to be included in budget requests for that fiscal year.

(C) The Secretary of Defense shall pay into the Fund at the end of each month as the Department of Defense contribution to the Fund the amount necessary to liquidate unfunded liabilities of the Fund in accordance with the amortization schedules determined by the Board.

(8) Amounts paid into the Fund under this subsection shall be paid from funds available for the pay of members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of each military department.

(9) The investment provisions of section 1467 of this title shall apply to the Voluntary Separation Incentive Fund.

(i) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation may issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(j) A member of the armed forces who is provided a voluntary separation incentive under this section shall be eligible for the same benefits and services as are provided under chapter 58 of this title, sections 404 and 406 of title 37, and section 503(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (104 Stat. 1558; 37 U.S.C. 406 note) for members of the armed forces who are involuntarily separated within the meaning of section 1141 of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title VI, §662(a)(1), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1396 ; amended Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title X, §1052(16), div. D, title XLIV, §§4405(b), 4406(a), (b), 4422(b), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2499 , 2706, 2707, 2719; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title V, §§502, 561(h), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1644 , 1668; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title V, §542(c), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2769 .)

Amendments

1994-Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 103–337, §542(c)(1), inserted "and the Secretary of Transportation" after "Secretary of Defense".

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–337, §542(c)(2), struck out "of the military department" after "Secretary".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 103–337, §542(c)(3), inserted "and the Department of Transportation for the Coast Guard" before period at end.

Subsec. (h)(3). Pub. L. 103–337, §542(c)(4), inserted "by the Secretary of Defense" after "incentive payments made" and "to the Secretary" after "shall be available".

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 103–337, §542(c)(5), inserted "and the Secretary of Transportation" after "Secretary of Defense".

1993-Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 103–160, §502, struck out "before December 5, 1991" after "active service".

Subsecs. (d)(3), (h)(6). Pub. L. 103–160, §561(h)(1), substituted "September 30, 1999" for "September 30, 1995" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (h)(7)(A). Pub. L. 103–160, §561(h)(2), substituted "fiscal year 1999" for "fiscal year 1996".

1992-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–484, §1052(16)(A), substituted "reserve component" for "Reserve component" after "transfer to a".

Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 102–484, §4422(b)(1), (2), inserted "or full-time National Guard duty or any combination of active duty and full-time National Guard duty" after "active duty".

Subsec. (b)(3), (4). Pub. L. 102–484, §4424(b)(3), redesignated par. (4) as (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: "if a Reserve, is on the active duty list; and".

Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 102–484, §1052(16)(B), substituted "before December 5, 1991" for "prior to the time this provision is enacted".

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 102–484, §4406(a)(1), substituted "may elect to have a reduction in the voluntary separation incentive payable for the same period in an amount not to exceed the amount of the basic pay or compensation received for that period." for "shall forfeit an amount of voluntary separation incentive payable for the same period that is equal to the total amount of basic pay, or compensation, received."

Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 102–484, §4406(a)(2), inserted at end "If the member elected to have a reduction in voluntary separation incentive for any period pursuant to paragraph (2), the deduction required under the preceding sentence shall be reduced accordingly."

Subsec. (e)(6). Pub. L. 102–484, §4406(b), struck out par. (6) which read as follows: "Years of service that form the basis of the payment under paragraph (5) may not be counted in computing eligibility for, or the amount of, annuities under title 5 or any other law providing annuities to Federal civilian employees."

Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 102–484, §4405(b), added subsec. (j).

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–337 applicable only to members of the Coast Guard who are separated after Sept. 30, 1994, see section 542(e) of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as a note under section 1141 of this title.

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Amendment by section 4405(b) of Pub. L. 102–484 applicable as if included in this section as enacted Dec. 5, 1991, with any benefits or services payable by reason of applicability of that amendment during the period beginning Dec. 5, 1991, and ending Oct. 23, 1992, to be subject to availability of appropriations, see section 4405(c) of Pub. L. 102–484, set out as a note under section 1174a of this title.

Section 4406(c) of Pub. L. 102–484 provided that: "The amendments to section 1175 of title 10, United States Code, made by subsections (a) and (b) shall apply as if included in section 1175 of title 10, United States Code, as enacted on December 5, 1991."

Separation Payments; Reductions and Prohibitions

For provisions reducing, with certain exceptions, amounts received under this section by amounts received as bonus payments under chapter 5 of title 37 in case of members who separate from active duty or full-time National Guard duty in a military department and prohibiting such members from receiving Voluntary Separation Incentive program payments if rehired in DOD civilian position within 180 days of separation, see note set out under section 1174a of this title.

Tax Treatment of Incentive Payment

Section 662(b) of Pub. L. 102–190 provided that: "Notwithstanding the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 [26 U.S.C. 1 et seq.] and any other provision of law, any voluntary separation incentive paid to a member of the Armed Forces under section 1175 of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall be includable in gross income for federal tax purposes only for the taxable year in which such incentive is paid to the participant or beneficiary of the member."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in sections 1151, 1152, 1153, 1174a of this title; title 29 section 1662d–1; title 38 section 3018B.