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LegalText	37 U.S.C. § 302c	Special pay: psychologists and nonphysician health care providers	us	united_states_code	code_section	37	PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES	5	SPECIAL AND INCENTIVE PAYS	302c	37 U.S.C. § 302c	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc37@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t37/s302c	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-37/usc37.xml	c597465eb9939690af1222c1a2be916da035803b94c3e2bb998d99ab08d490dc	e0a35eb7ef12b7ff3b62c2d230c815f864ad090f207afa5aca869467bb414b1c	5d2809933ee9b71ebc0bcbc183efccef3a07ae6df68077113468c03405b0d6cb	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

37 U.S.C. § 302c - Special pay: psychologists and nonphysician health care providers

Text

(a) Public Health Service Corps.— A member who is—

(1) an officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps 11 See Change of Name note below. of the Public Health Service and is designated as a psychologist; and

(2) has been awarded a diploma as a Diplomate in Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology,

is entitled to special pay, as provided in subsection (b).

(b) Rate of Special Pay.— The rate of special pay to which an officer is entitled pursuant to subsection (a) shall be—

(1) $2,000 per year, if the officer has less than 10 years of creditable service;

(2) $2,500 per year, if the officer has at least 10 but less than 12 years of creditable service;

(3) $3,000 per year, if the officer has at least 12 but less than 14 years of creditable service;

(4) $4,000 per year, if the officer has at least 14 but less than 18 years of creditable service; or

(5) $5,000 per year, if the officer has 18 or more years of creditable service.

(c) Army, Navy, and Air Force Psychologists.— The Secretary of Defense may provide special pay at the rates specified in subsection (b) to an officer who—

(1) is an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the Army or Navy or a biomedical sciences officer in the Air Force;

(2) is designated as a psychologist; and

(3) has been awarded a diploma as a Diplomate in Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology.

(d) Nonphysician Health Care Providers.— The Secretary concerned may authorize the payment of special pay at the rates specified in subsection (b) to an officer who—

(1) is an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the Army or Navy, a biomedical sciences officer in the Air Force, an officer in the Army Medical Specialist Corps, an officer of the Nurse Corps of the Army or Navy, an officer of the Air Force designated as a nurse, an officer of the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve designated as a physician assistant, or an officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps 1 of the Public Health Service;

(2) is a health care provider (other than a psychologist);

(3) has a postbaccalaureate degree; and

(4) is certified by a professional board in the officer’s specialty.

(Added Pub. L. 100–140, § 2(a), Oct. 26, 1987, 101 Stat. 830; amended Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VII, § 704(a), (b)(1), (c), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1471; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title VI, § 618(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1579; Pub. L. 102–25, title VII, § 702(a)(2)(A), Apr. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 117; Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title VI, § 611, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2420; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title VI, § 617, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 362; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title VI, § 614(b), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2544; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(c)(5), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1904; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VI, § 627], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–153; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title X, § 1063(b), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 322.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 302c, added Pub. L. 96–284, § 3(a)(1), June 28, 1980, 94 Stat. 589, related to special pay for medical officers of the Public Health Service, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 96–513, title IV, § 414(a), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2906, eff. Sept. 15, 1981.

Amendments2008—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 110–181 substituted “Service Corps” for “Services Corps”. 2000—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 106–398 inserted “an officer of the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve designated as a physician assistant,” after “nurse,”. 1997—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 105–85 made technical correction to directory language of Pub. L. 104–201, § 614(b)(2)(B). See 1996 Amendment note below. 1996—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–201, § 614(b)(1), substituted “Secretary concerned” for “Secretary of Defense” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 104–201, § 614(b)(2)(B), as amended by Pub. L. 105–85, inserted before semicolon at end “, or an officer in the Regular or Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service”. Pub. L. 104–201, § 614(b)(2)(A), struck out “or” after “Nurse Corps of the Army or Navy,”. Pub. L. 104–106 struck out “or” after “Air Force,” and inserted “, an officer of the Nurse Corps of the Army or Navy, or an officer of the Air Force designated as a nurse” before semicolon at end. 1992—Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 102–484 substituted “Navy,” for “Navy or” and inserted before semicolon at end “, or an officer in the Army Medical Specialist Corps”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–25 amended section catchline generally. 1990—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 101–510 added subsec. (d). 1989—Pub. L. 101–189, § 704(b)(1), struck out “in the Public Health Service Corps” after “psychologists” in section catchline. Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 101–189, § 704(c), inserted headings. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–189, § 704(a), added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name Reference to Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service deemed to be a reference to the Ready Reserve Corps, see section 204(c)(3) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Effective Date of 1997 AmendmentPub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(c), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1904, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective as of Sept. 23, 1996, and as if included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997, Pub. L. 104–201, as enacted.

Effective DatePub. L. 100–140, § 2(c), Oct. 26, 1987, 101 Stat. 831, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section and amending section 303a of this title] shall take effect on October 1, 1987 or on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 26, 1987], whichever is later, and shall apply with respect to pay periods beginning on or after that effective date.”

Transfer of Functions For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Implementation of Subsection (d)Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title VI, § 618(b), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1579, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense may not implement subsection (d) of section 302c of title 37, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), unless the Secretary submits to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report— “(1) justifying the need of the military departments for the authority provided in such subsection; and “(2) describing the manner in which that authority will be implemented.” [Report submitted to Committees on Apr. 29, 1994.]

Implementation of Special Pay for Army, Navy, and Air Force PsychologistsPub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VII, § 704(d), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1471, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense may not implement subsection (c) of section 302c of title 37, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), unless the Secretary submits to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report— “(1) justifying the need of the military departments for the authority provided in such subsection; and “(2) describing the manner in which that authority will be implemented.” [Report submitted to Committees on Apr. 20, 1994.]