(a) A person is eligible for the benefits established in this section if he or she meets all of the following qualifications:

(1) Is, or was when called up, an active part-time or full-time employee of the City in Pay Plan Category A, B, C, D/E, F, G, K or L;

(2) Is a member of the Armed Forces, Naval Militia or National Guard as of September 14, 2001;

(3) Is called to active duty per Executive Order 13223 issued on September 14, 2001 or a subsequent same action-related order;

(4) Returns to City employment within 60 days after the end of active duty status; and

(5) Remains as an employee of the City for at least six months following his or her return to City employment.

Eligible employees will be required to sign an agreement with the City which details their rights and obligations with respect to these benefits and supplemental salary prior to their initial receipt of benefits beyond the mandatory 30 days of benefits otherwise provided by law, when applicable. Employees who elect not to return to City service shall be required to repay the City for the cost of the supplementary salary and benefits plus interest at the 26-week T-bill rate at the time that the final supplementary compensation was provided and for the period that exceeded the mandatory 30 days of benefits otherwise provided by law.

(b) The City will continue to pay a bi-weekly check to eligible employees equal to base salary, plus any other compensation the employee would have received had he/she been actually working. The employee then will reimburse the City the amounts paid for military service plus allowances, excluding the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).

(c) Eligible employees will be required to send copies of their military pay stubs to the Department of Human Resources for purposes of reconciliation. The payments will be reconciled by the Payroll unit of the Accounting Division of the Department of Finance.

(d) All employees receiving the benefits and supplemental salary under this section will be eligible to remain covered under their current retirement, medical, dental, employee assistance and vision plans for eligible employees for a maximum period of 12 months (26 pay periods inclusive) after the initial 30 days' military leave are exhausted, when applicable. The City will provide eligible employees, along with the supplementary salary, the amount that the City currently contributes toward the benefits plans. If the employee is currently paying a deduction toward these plans, the employee will continue to make those payments.