PUBLIC LAW 105-85—NOV. 18, 1997 111 STAT. 1803 of payment of the principal, interest, and related expenses of a loan obtained by a person described in subsection (b) for— "(A) all educational expenses, comparable to all educational expenses recognized under section 2127(a) of this title for participants in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance program; and "(B) reasonable living expenses, not to exceed expenses comparable to the stipend paid under section 2121(d) of this title for participants in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Finsmcial Assistance program. "(2) For each year of obligated service that a person agrees to serve in an agreement described in subsection (b)(3), the Secretary of the military department concerned may pay not more than $22,000 on behalf of the person. This maximum amount shall Effective date. be increased annually by the Secretary of Defense effective October 1 of each year by the percentage equal to the percent increase in the average annual cost of educational expenses and stipend costs of a single scholarship under the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance program. The total amount that may be repaid on behalf of any person may not exceed an amount determined on the basis of a four-year active duty service obligation. "(f)AcTiVE DUTY SERVICE OBLIGATION. — (1) A person entering into an agreement described in subsection (b)(3) incurs an active duty service obligation. The length of this obligation shall be deter- Regulations. mined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, but those regulations may not provide for a period of obligation of less than one year for each maximum annual amount, or portion thereof, paid on behalf of the person for qualified loans. "(2) For persons on active duty before entering into the agreement, the active duty service obligation shall be served consecutively to any other obligation incurred under the agreement. "(g) EFFECT OF FAILURE TO COMPLETE OBLIGATION.— A commissioned officer who is relieved of the officer's active duty obligation under this section before the completion of that obligation may be given, with or without the consent of the officer, any alternative obligation comparable to any of the alternative obligations authorized by section 2123(e) of this title for participants in the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship and Financial Assistance program. "(h) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section, including standards for qualified loans and authorized payees and other terms and conditions for the making of loan repayments.". (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT. —The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: "2173. Education loan repayment program: commissioned officers in specified health professions.". SEC. 652. CONFORMANCE OF NOAA COMMISSIONED OFFICERS SEPARA- TION PAY TO SEPARATION PAY FOR MEMBERS OF OTHER UNIFORMED SERVICES. (a) ELIMINATION OF LIMITATIONS ON AMOUNT OF SEPARATION PAY.— Section 9 of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers' Act of 1948 (33 U.S.C. 853h) is amended—
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