I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2597 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. Short title This Act may be cited as the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act . 2. Parental leave parity for members of reserve 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 subsection: (g) (1) The Secretary concerned, under uniform regulations 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 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 determines 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 circumstances warranting the extended deadline. . (b) Contribution of leave toward entitlement to retired pay Section 12732(a)(2)(G) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking maternity 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 Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 ( Public Law 116–283 ; 10 U.S.C. 12732 note) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking maternity leave and all that follows through birth of a child and inserting parental leave described in section 12732(a)(2)(G) of title 10, United States Code, taken by a member of the reserve components of the Armed Forces ; (2) in paragraph (2), by striking maternity leave and all that follows through childbirth event and inserting parental leave taken by the member ; and (3) in paragraph (3), by striking maternity leave each place it appears and inserting parental leave . (d) Effective date This section and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply with respect to periods of parental leave that commence on or after that date.