5 U.S.C. § 10104: Recruitment bonuses

The Administrator may pay a bonus to an individual in order to recruit the individual for a position within the Agency that would otherwise be difficult to fill in the absence of such a bonus. Upon completion of the strategic human capital plan, such bonuses shall be paid in accordance with that plan. The amount of a bonus under this section shall be determined by the Administrator, but may not exceed 25 percent of the annual rate of basic pay of the position involved. A bonus under this section shall be paid in the form of a lump-sum payment and shall not be considered to be part of basic pay. the period of service the individual shall be required to complete in return for the bonus; and the conditions under which the agreement may be terminated before the agreed-upon service period has been completed, and the effect of the termination. a position to which an individual is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; a position in the Senior Executive Service as a noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a)); or a position which has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character. The authority to pay bonuses under this section shall terminate 5 years after the date of enactment of this chapter. The Agency shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress, annually for each of the 5 years during which this section is in effect, a report on the operation of this section. the number and dollar amount of bonuses paid to individuals holding positions within each pay grade, pay level, or other pay classification; and a determination of the extent to which such bonuses furthered the purposes of this section.