§16201. Financial assistance: health-care professionals in reserve components

(a) Establishment of Program.-For the purpose of obtaining adequate numbers of commissioned officers in the reserve components who are qualified in health professions specialties critically needed in wartime, the Secretary of each military department may establish and maintain a program to provide financial assistance under this chapter to persons engaged in training in such specialties. Under such a program, the Secretary concerned may agree to pay a financial stipend to persons engaged in training in certain health care specialties in return for a commitment to subsequent service in the Ready Reserve.

(b) Physicians in Critical Specialties.-(1) Under the stipend program under this chapter, the Secretary of the military department concerned may enter into an agreement with a person who-

(A) is a graduate of a medical school;

(B) is eligible for appointment, designation, or assignment as a medical officer in the Reserve of the armed force concerned; and

(C) is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment in a residency program for physicians in a medical specialty designated by the Secretary concerned as a specialty critically needed by that military department in wartime.

(2) Under the agreement-

(A) the Secretary shall agree to pay the participant a stipend, in an amount determined under subsection (e), for the period or the remainder of the period of the residency program in which the participant enrolls or is enrolled;

(B) the participant shall not be eligible to receive such stipend before appointment, designation, or assignment as a medical officer for service in the Ready Reserve;

(C) the participant shall be subject to such active duty requirements as may be specified in the agreement and to active duty in time of war or national emergency as provided by law for members of the Ready Reserve; and

(D) the participant shall agree to serve, upon successful completion of the program, two years in the Ready Reserve for each year, or part thereof, for which the stipend is provided, to be served in the Selected Reserve or in the Individual Ready Reserve as specified in the agreement.

(c) Registered Nurses in Critical Specialties.-(1) Under the stipend program under this chapter, the Secretary of the military department concerned may enter into an agreement with a person who-

(A) is a registered nurse;

(B) is eligible for appointment as-

(i) a Reserve officer for service in the Army Reserve in the Army Nurse Corps;

(ii) a Reserve officer for service in the Naval Reserve in the Navy Nurse Corps; or

(iii) a Reserve officer for service in the Air Force Reserve with a view to designation as an Air Force nurse under section 8067(e) of this title; and

(C) is enrolled or has been accepted for enrollment in an accredited program in nursing in a specialty designated by the Secretary concerned as a specialty critically needed by that military department in wartime.

(2) Under the agreement-

(A) the Secretary shall agree to pay the participant a stipend, in an amount determined under subsection (e), for the period or the remainder of the period of the nursing program in which the participant enrolls or is enrolled;

(B) the participant shall not be eligible to receive such stipend before being appointed as a Reserve officer for service in the Ready Reserve-

(i) in the Nurse Corps of the Army or Navy; or

(ii) as an Air Force nurse of the Air Force;

(C) the participant shall be subject to such active duty requirements as may be specified in the agreement and to active duty in time of war or national emergency as provided by law for members of the Ready Reserve; and

(D) the participant shall agree to serve, upon successful completion of the program, two years in the Ready Reserve for each year, or part thereof, for which the stipend is provided, to be served in the Selected Reserve or in the Individual Ready Reserve as specified in the agreement.

(d) Baccalaureate Students in Nursing or Other Health Professions.-(1) Under the stipend program under this chapter, the Secretary of the military department concerned may enter into an agreement with a person who-

(A) will, upon completion of the program, be eligible to be appointed, designated, or assigned as a Reserve officer for duty as a nurse or other health professional; and

(B) is enrolled, or has been accepted for enrollment in the third or fourth year of-

(i) an accredited baccalaureate nursing program; or

(ii) any other accredited baccalaureate program leading to a degree in a health-care profession designated by the Secretary concerned as a profession critically needed by that military department in wartime.

(2) Under the agreement-

(A) the Secretary shall agree to pay the participant a stipend of $100 per month for the period or the remainder of the period of the baccalaureate program in which the participant enrolls or is enrolled;

(B) the participant shall not be eligible to receive such stipend before enlistment in the Ready Reserve;

(C) the participant shall be subject to such active duty requirements as may be specified in the agreement and to active duty in time of war or national emergency as provided by law for members of the Ready Reserve; and

(D) the participant shall agree to serve, upon graduation from the baccalaureate program, one year in the Ready Reserve for each year, or part thereof, for which the stipend is paid.

(e) Amount of Stipend.-The amount of a stipend under an agreement under subsection (b) or (c) shall be-

(1) the stipend rate in effect for participants in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program under section 2121(d) of this title, if the participant has agreed to serve in the Selected Reserve; or

(2) one-half of that rate, if the participant has agreed to serve in the Individual Ready Reserve.

(Added Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title VII, §711(a)(3), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1108 , §2128; renumbered §16201 and amended Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI, §1663(c)(2), (5), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 3007 , 3008.)

Amendments

1994-Pub. L. 103–337, §1663(c)(2), renumbered section 2128 of this title as this section.

Subsecs. (a), (b)(1), (c)(1), (d)(1). Pub. L. 103–337, §1663(c)(5), substituted "chapter" for "subchapter".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 103–337, §1663(c)(2), struck out subsec. (f) which defined "Individual Ready Reserve".

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–337 effective Dec. 1, 1994, except as otherwise provided, see section 1691 of Pub. L. 103–337, set out as an Effective Date note under section 10001 of this title.

Payments for Period Prior to December 4, 1987

Section 711(e)(2) of Pub. L. 100–180 provided that: "An agreement entered into by the Secretary of a military department under section 2128 [now 16201] of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), may not obligate the United States to make a payment for any period before the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 1987]."

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 16202 of this title.