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) intro-
duced 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 place-
ment for long-term foster care of a child. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reserve Component 
Parental Leave Parity Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PARENTAL LEAVE PARITY FOR MEMBERS OF RE-
SERVE 
COMPONENTS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) COMPENSATION.—Section 206 of title 37, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by amending paragraph 
(4) to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) for each of six days for each period during 
which the member is on parental leave during— 
‘‘(A) the one-year period beginning after— 
‘‘(i) the birth or adoption of a child of 
the member; or 
‘‘(ii) the placement of a minor child 
with the member for adoption or long-term 
foster care; or 
‘‘(B) such other period as is provided for 
under subsection (g).’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(g)(1) The Secretary concerned, under uniform reg-
ulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, may 
authorize leave described in subsection (a)(4) to be taken 
after the one-year period described in subparagraph (A) 
of that subsection in the case of a member described in 
subsection (a) who, except for this subsection, would lose 
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unused parental leave at the end of that one-year period 
as a result of— 
‘‘(A) operational requirements; 
‘‘(B) professional military education obligations; 
or 
‘‘(C) other circumstances that the Secretary de-
termines reasonable and appropriate. 
‘‘(2) The regulations prescribed under paragraph (1) 
shall require that any leave authorized to be taken after 
the one-year period described in subsection (a)(4)(A) shall 
be taken within a reasonable period of time, as determined 
by the Secretary of Defense, after cessation of the cir-
cumstances warranting the extended deadline.’’. 
(b) CONTRIBUTION OF LEAVE TOWARD ENTITLE-
MENT TO RETIRED PAY.—Section 12732(a)(2)(G) of title 
10, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘mater-
nity leave.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘parental leave 
following— 
‘‘(i) the birth or adoption of a child of 
the member; or 
‘‘(ii) the placement of a minor child 
with the member for adoption or long-term 
foster care.’’. 
(c) CREDIT FOR RETIRED PAY PURPOSES.—Section 
602(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National De-
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