(a) In General.—(1) For purposes of this section and any other provision of law, a military technician (dual status) is a Federal civilian employee who—

(A) is employed under section 3101 of title 5 or section 709(b) of title 32;

(B) is required as a condition of that employment to maintain membership in the Selected Reserve; and

(C) is assigned to a civilian position as a technician in the organizing, administering, instructing, or training of the Selected Reserve or in the maintenance and repair of supplies or equipment issued to the Selected Reserve or the armed forces.

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(2) Military technicians (dual status) shall be authorized and accounted for as a separate category of civilian employees.

(3) A military technician (dual status) who is employed under section 3101 of title 5 may perform the following additional duties to the extent that the performance of those duties does not interfere with the performance of the primary duties described in paragraph (1):

(A) Supporting operations or missions assigned in whole or in part to the technician’s unit.

(B) Supporting operations or missions performed or to be performed by—

(i) a unit composed of elements from more than one component of the technician’s armed force; or

(ii) a joint forces unit that includes—

(I) one or more units of the technician’s component; or

(II) a member of the technician’s component whose reserve component assignment is in a position in an element of the joint forces unit.

(C) Instructing or training in the United States or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or possessions of the United States of—

(i) active-duty members of the armed forces;

(ii) members of foreign military forces (under the same authorities and restrictions applicable to active-duty members providing such instruction or training);

(iii) Department of Defense contractor personnel; or

(iv) Department of Defense civilian employees.

(b) Priority for Management of Military Technicians (Dual Status).—(1) As a basis for making the annual request to Congress pursuant to section 115(d) of this title for authorization of end strengths for military technicians (dual status) of the Army and Air Force reserve components, the Secretary of Defense shall give priority to supporting authorizations for military technicians (dual status) in the following high-priority units and organizations:

(A) Units of the Selected Reserve that are scheduled to deploy no later than 90 days after mobilization.

(B) Units of the Selected Reserve that are or will deploy to relieve active duty peacetime operations tempo.

(C) Those organizations with the primary mission of providing direct support surface and aviation maintenance for the reserve components of the Army and Air Force, to the extent that the military technicians (dual status) in such units would mobilize and deploy in a skill that is compatible with their civilian position skill.

(2) For each fiscal year, the Secretary of Defense shall, for the high-priority units and organizations referred to in paragraph (1), seek to achieve a programmed manning level for military technicians (dual status) that is not less than 90 percent of the programmed manpower structure for those units and organizations for military technicians (dual status) for that fiscal year.

(3) Military technician (dual status) authorizations and personnel shall be exempt from any requirement (imposed by law or otherwise) for reductions in Department of Defense civilian personnel and shall only be reduced as part of military force structure reductions.

(c) Information Required To Be Submitted With Annual End Strength Authorization Request.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall include as part of the budget justification documents submitted to Congress with the budget of the Department of Defense for any fiscal year the following information with respect to the end strengths for military technicians (dual status) requested in that budget pursuant to section 115(d) of this title, shown separately for each of the Army and Air Force reserve components:

(A) The number of military technicians (dual status) in the high priority units and organizations specified in subsection (b)(1).

(B) The number of technicians other than military technicians (dual status) in the high priority units and organizations specified in subsection (b)(1).

(C) The number of military technicians (dual status) in other than high priority units and organizations specified in subsection (b)(1).

(D) The number of technicians other than military technicians (dual status) in other than high priority units and organizations specified in subsection (b)(1).

(2)(A) If the budget submitted to Congress for any fiscal year requests authorization for that fiscal year under section 115(d) of this title of a military technician (dual status) end strength for a reserve component of the Army or Air Force in a number that constitutes a reduction from the end strength minimum established by law for that reserve component for the fiscal year during which the budget is submitted, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees with that budget a justification providing the basis for that requested reduction in technician end strength.

(B) Any justification submitted under subparagraph (A) shall clearly delineate the specific force structure reductions forming the basis for such requested technician reduction (and the numbers related to those reductions).

(d) Unit Membership Requirement.—(1) Unless specifically exempted by law, each individual who is hired as a military technician (dual status) after December 1, 1995, shall be required as a condition of that employment to maintain membership in—

(A) the unit of the Selected Reserve by which the individual is employed as a military technician; or

(B) a unit of the Selected Reserve that the individual is employed as a military technician to support.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a military technician (dual status) who is employed by the Army Reserve in an area other than Army Reserve troop program units.

(3) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a military technician (dual status) who is employed by the Air Force Reserve in an area other than the Air Force Reserve unit program, except that not more than 50 of such technicians may be assigned outside of the unit program at the same time.

(e) Dual Status Requirement.—(1) Funds appropriated for the Department of Defense may not (except as provided in paragraph (2)) be used for compensation as a military technician of any individual hired as a military technician (dual status) after February 10, 1996, who is no longer a member of the Selected Reserve.

(2) Except as otherwise provided by law, the Secretary concerned may pay compensation described in paragraph (1) to an individual described in that paragraph who is no longer a member of the Selected Reserve for a period up to 12 months following the individual’s loss of membership in the Selected Reserve if the Secretary determines that such loss of membership was not due to the failure of that individual to meet military standards.

(f) Authority for Deferral of Mandatory Separation.—The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force may each implement personnel policies so as to allow, at the discretion of the Secretary concerned, a military technician (dual status) who continues to meet the requirements of this section for dual status to continue to serve beyond a mandatory removal date, and any applicable maximum years of service limitation, until the military technician (dual status) reaches age 60 and attains eligibility for an unreduced annuity (as defined in section 10218(c) of this title).

(g) Retention of Military Technicians Who Lose Dual Status Due to Combat-Related Disability.—(1) Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section or subsections (a)(3) and (b) of section 10218 of this title, if a military technician (dual status) loses such dual status as the result of a combat-related disability (as defined in section 1413a of this title), the person may be retained as a non-dual status technician so long as—

(A) the combat-related disability does not prevent the person from performing the non-dual status functions or position; and

(B) the person, while a non-dual status technician, is not disqualified from performing the non-dual status functions or position because of performance, medical, or other reasons.

(2) A person so retained shall be removed not later than 30 days after becoming eligible for an unreduced annuity and becoming 60 years of age.

(3) Persons retained under the authority of this subsection do not count against the limitations of section 10217(c) of this title.