51 Pa.C.S. § 3213: Program stipend.

(a) Stipend.--

(1) (Deleted by amendment).

(2) (Deleted by amendment).

(3) A medical officer or health care officer who is required to have obtained a doctoral degree for entry into the officer's military specialty and who meets the requirements under subsection (c) may receive a stipend of $1,000 per month for no more than 48 months of medical residency or the first 36 accession months of service to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(4) A medical officer or health care officer who is required to have obtained a master's degree for entry into the officer's military specialty and who meets the requirements under subsection (c) may receive a stipend of $750 per month for no more than 48 months of medical residency or the first 36 accession months of service to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(5) A medical officer or health care officer who is required to have obtained a bachelor's degree for entry into the officer's military specialty and who meets the requirements under subsection (c) may receive a stipend of $500 per month for no more than 48 months of medical residency or the first 36 accession months of service to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(6) A JAG officer who is required to have obtained a juris doctor degree and a license to practice law in this Commonwealth for entry into the officer's military specialty and who meets the requirements under subsection (c) may receive a stipend of $750 per month for the first 36 accession months of service to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(7) A chaplain who is required to obtain a bachelor's degree, an ecclesiastical endorsement and a seminary graduate degree, who is ordained for entry into the officer's military specialty and who meets the requirements under subsection (c), may receive a stipend of $750 per month for the first 36 accession months of service to the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(b) Areas of concentration.--An area of concentration qualification for a medical or health care officer must be approved by the National Guard Bureau through a predetermination request completed by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Army Medical Department Officer Strength Manager or the Pennsylvania Air National Guard State Air Surgeon.

(b.1) Eligibility.--Medical officers and health care officers assigned to administrative, planning or logistical concentrations shall not be eligible for the program.

(c) Requirements.--In order to qualify for a stipend under subsection (a), a specialty branch officer must meet all of the following:

(1) Be a member in good standing with the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(2) Be assigned to an appropriate medical, health, legal or religious position in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(3) Agree to serve as a specialty branch officer in the Pennsylvania National Guard for a period of one month for each monthly stipend received. This service obligation shall be concurrent with any other military service obligation of the officer.

(4) For a medical officer or health care officer, meet Federal and State licensing requirements to practice within the officer's medical specialty within this Commonwealth.

(5) Meet any applicable Federal requirements for the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(6) For a medical officer or health care officer, once licensed and eligible to be granted, maintain clinical privileges as awarded at the National Guard level by the Centralized Credentials and Privileging Preparation Board.

(d) Receipt of stipend.--A stipend under subsection (a) shall be paid to an eligible specialty branch officer whose application for the stipend is approved at the completion of each month of residency or service. A specialty branch officer may not receive a stipend under subsection (a) for more than 48 months during the period of service in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

(e) Adjustments.--If the Adjutant General determines that the amount available for the program in any year will be insufficient to provide stipends in the amount described under subsection (a), the Adjutant General may place a cap on the number of specialty branch officers eligible to receive stipends or may adjust the amount of the annual stipend.

(f) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a medical officer or health care officer who is serving in the Pennsylvania National Guard before the effective date of this section and who meets the requirements under subsection (c) from receiving a stipend under subsection (a) during the period of medical residency or service.