I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2597 

To authorize members of reserve components of the Armed Forces to take 

parental leave for the adoption or placement for long-term foster care 

of a child. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 13, 2023 

Mr. JACKSON of North Carolina (for himself and Mr. NUNN of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services 

A BILL 

To authorize members of reserve components of the Armed 

Forces to take parental leave for the adoption or placement for long-term foster care of a child. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reserve Component 

5 Parental Leave Parity Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PARENTAL LEAVE PARITY FOR MEMBERS OF RE2 SERVE COMPONENTS OF THE ARMED 

3 FORCES. 

4 (a) COMPENSATION.—Section 206 of title 37, United 

5 States Code, is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (a), by amending paragraph 

7 (4) to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘(4) for each of six days for each period during 

9 which the member is on parental leave during— 

10 ‘‘(A) the one-year period beginning after— 

11 ‘‘(i) the birth or adoption of a child of 

12 the member; or 

13 ‘‘(ii) the placement of a minor child 

14 with the member for adoption or long-term 

15 foster care; or 

16 ‘‘(B) such other period as is provided for 

17 under subsection (g).’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub19 section: 

20 ‘‘(g)(1) The Secretary concerned, under uniform reg21 ulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, may 

22 authorize leave described in subsection (a)(4) to be taken 

23 after the one-year period described in subparagraph (A) 

24 of that subsection in the case of a member described in 

25 subsection (a) who, except for this subsection, would lose 


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1 unused parental leave at the end of that one-year period 

2 as a result of— 

3 ‘‘(A) operational requirements; 

4 ‘‘(B) professional military education obligations; 

5 or 

6 ‘‘(C) other circumstances that the Secretary de7 termines reasonable and appropriate. 

8 ‘‘(2) The regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) 

9 shall require that any leave authorized to be taken after 

10 the one-year period described in subsection (a)(4)(A) shall 

11 be taken within a reasonable period of time, as determined 

12 by the Secretary of Defense, after cessation of the cir13 cumstances warranting the extended deadline.’’. 

14 (b) CONTRIBUTION OF LEAVE TOWARD ENTITLE15 MENT TO RETIRED PAY.—Section 12732(a)(2)(G) of title 

16 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘mater17 nity leave.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘parental leave 

18 following— 

19 ‘‘(i) the birth or adoption of a child of 

20 the member; or 

21 ‘‘(ii) the placement of a minor child 

22 with the member for adoption or long-term 

23 foster care.’’. 

24 (c) CREDIT FOR RETIRED PAY PURPOSES.—Section 

25 602(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National DeVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:59 Apr 15, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2597.IH H2597

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1 fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 

2 116–283; 10 U.S.C. 12732 note) is amended— 

3 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘maternity 

4 leave’’ and all that follows through ‘‘birth of a child’’ 

5 and inserting ‘‘parental leave described in section 

6 12732(a)(2)(G) of title 10, United States Code, 

7 taken by a member of the reserve components of the 

8 Armed Forces’’; 

9 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘maternity 

10 leave’’ and all that follows through ‘‘childbirth 

11 event’’ and inserting ‘‘parental leave taken by the 

12 member’’; and 

13 (3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘maternity 

14 leave’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘parental 

15 leave’’. 

16 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend17 ments made by this section shall take effect on the date 

18 of the enactment of this Act and apply with respect to 

19 periods of parental leave that commence on or after that 

20 date. 

Æ 


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