# § 415. Uniform allowance: officers; initial allowance
**(a)** Subject to subsection (b), an officer of an armed force is entitled to an initial allowance of not more than $400 as reimbursement for the purchase of required uniforms and equipment—
**(1)** upon first reporting for active duty (other than for training) for a period of more than 90 days;
**(2)** upon completing at least 14 days of active duty as a member of a reserve component;
**(3)** upon completing 14 periods, each of which was of at least two hours’ duration, of inactive-duty training as a member of the Ready Reserve; or
**(4)** upon reporting for the first period of active duty required by section 2121(c) of title 10 as a member of the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship program.
**(b)** An officer who has received an initial uniform reimbursement or allowance under any other law is not entitled to an initial allowance under subsection (a).
**(c)** An allowance of $250 for uniforms and equipment may be paid to each commissioned officer of the Public Health Service who is—
An officer is not entitled to more than one allowance under this subsection.
**(1)** on active duty or on inactive duty training status; and
**(2)** required by directive of the Surgeon General to wear a uniform.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 87–649, Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 477; Pub. L. 88–647, title II, § 202(3), Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1070; Pub. L. 89–444, § 2(1), June 9, 1966, 80 Stat. 198; Pub. L. 89–718, § 63, Nov. 2, 1966, 80 Stat. 1123; Pub. L. 90–83, § 5(1), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 221; Pub. L. 91–278, § 3(3), June 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 306; Pub. L. 96–76, title III, § 313(c), Sept. 29, 1979, 93 Stat. 586; Pub. L. 96–513, title IV, § 412, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2905; Pub. L. 97–22, § 10(c), July 10, 1981, 95 Stat. 137; Pub. L. 97–60, title I, § 131(a), Oct. 14, 1981, 95 Stat. 1005; Pub. L. 102–25, title VII, § 702(b)(1), (c), Apr. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 117; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VI, § 610(a)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–150.)
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 415(a)415(b)415(c) | 37:255(a) (less provisos).37:255(a) (2d proviso).37:255(a) (last proviso). | Oct. 12, 1949, ch. 681, § 305(a) (less 1st proviso); added Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 20(d) (1st par., less 1st proviso), 70A Stat. 628. |
| 415(d) | 42:214. | July 1, 1944, ch. 373, § 213; restated Apr. 27, 1956, ch. 211, § 2(a), 70 Stat. 116. |
| 415(e) | 37:256. | Oct. 12, 1949, ch. 681, § 306; added Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 20(d) (last par.), 70A Stat. 629. |
| | [Uncodified.] | Aug. 7, 1947, ch. 512, § 302(f), 61 Stat. 830. |
In subsection (a), the words “Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section,” are inserted for clarity. The words “of an armed force” are inserted, since the source section, as originally enacted, did not apply to the Public Health Service or the Coast and Geodetic Survey. (See section 243 of the Armed Forces Reserve Act of 1952 ().) The words “of the Army, or the Air Force, without specification of component” are inserted to reflect the definition of “reserve component” in section 102(k) of the source statute. That definition is executed throughout this revised title. For that reason, the words “but not as a member of the Army without specification of component or the Air Force without specification of component, in section 255(a)(2) of existing title 37”, are omitted, and since those categories are excluded by the words “member of a reserve component”. The words “of a reserve component”, in section 255(a)(3) of existing title 37, are omitted, since the Ready Reserve cannot be in anything other than a reserve component.
In subsection (b), the words “heretofore or hereafter” are omitted as surplusage.
In subsection (c), the words “An officer” are substituted for the words “any individual”, since the revised section applies only to officers.
In subsection (d), the words “who is in pay grade O–1, O–2, or O–3” are substituted for the words “is receiving the pay of the junior assistant, assistant, or senior assistant grade” to reflect current terminology. (See chapter 3 of this revised title.) The last sentence is substituted for section 214 (words following semicolon) of title 14.
In subsection (e), the words “as a temporary officer” are inserted for clarity. The words “5596 or” are substituted for , cited above.
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2000—Subsec. (a). substituted “$400” for “$200” in introductory provisions.
1991—Subsecs. (a), (b). struck out “of this section”.
1981—Subsec. (a). substituted “subsection (b) of this section” for “subsections (b) and (c) of this section”.
Subsec. (a)(4). added par. (4).
1980—Subsec. (a). , (2), substituted “an officer of an armed force is entitled” for “a reserve officer of an armed force, an officer of the Army or the Air Force without specification of component, or a regular officer of an armed force appointed under section 2106 or 2107 of title 10 is entitled”.
Subsecs. (c), (d). , (4), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c). Former subsec. (c), relating to limitations on qualifications for initial allowances by certain officers, was struck out.
Subsec. (e). , struck out subsec. (e) relating to uniform allowances for temporary officers or warrant officers.
1979—Subsec. (d). in cl. (1) inserted provisions for applicability to officers on inactive duty training status, and struck out cl. (3) setting forth applicability to officers entitled to basic pay of pay grade O–1, O–2, or O–3.
1970—Subsec. (e). provided for entitlement to uniform allowance of enlisted member appointed a warrant officer under .
1967—Subsec. (d)(3). substituted “entitled to the basic pay” for “is entitled to the basic pay”.
1966—Subsec. (a). struck out “, United States Code,” after “title 10”.
Subsec. (e). substituted “” for “”.
1964—Subsec. (a). included a regular officer of an armed force appointed under section 2106 or 2107 of title 10.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2000 Amendment
> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and
>
> ] shall take effect on
>
> .”
, title VI, § 610(c)], , , 1654A–150, provided that:
### Effective Date of 1981 Amendment
, , , provided that the amendment made by that section is effective .
### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by effective , but the authority to prescribe regulations under the amendment by effective on , see , set out as a note under , Armed Forces.
### Effective Date of 1979 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under , The Public Health and Welfare.
## Executive Documents
### Transfer of Functions
Functions of Public Health Service, Surgeon General of Public Health Service, and all other officers and employees of Public Health Service, and all functions of all agencies of or in Public Health Service transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. , 31 F.R. 8855, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare redesignated Secretary of Health and Human Services by , Education.