; and (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b). (b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on December 31, 2018, and shall apply with respect to personal money allowances payable under section 414 of title 37, United States Code, for years beginning after that date. 603. Department of Defense proposal for a pay table for members of the Armed Forces using steps in grade based on time in grade rather than time in service (a) Proposal required Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth a proposal for a pay table for members of the Armed Forces that uses steps in grade for each pay grade based on time of service within such pay grade rather than on time of service in the Armed Forces as a whole. (b) Comptroller General assessment Not later than April 1, 2019, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report setting forth an assessment by the Comptroller General of the proposed pay table required pursuant to subsection (a), including an assessment of the effects of using the proposed pay table, rather than the current pay table for members of the Armed Forces, on recruitment and retention of members of the Armed Forces as a whole and on recruitment and retention of members of the Armed Forces with particular sets of skills (including cyber and other technical skills). 604. Financial support for lessors under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative during 2019 (a) Support authorized Subject to subsection (c), for each month during 2019, the Secretary of Defense may pay to a lessor of covered housing up to 2 percent of the amount calculated under section 403(b)(3)(A)(i) of title 37, United States Code, for the area in which the covered housing exists for each member to whom such lessor leases covered housing for such month. (b) Covered housing In this section, the term covered housing