§ 710a. Parental leave for members of certain reserve components of the armed forces

• (a)
  • (1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, a member of a reserve component of the armed forces described in subsection (b) is allowed parental leave for a duration of up to 12 inactive-duty training periods, under section 206 of title 37 , during the one-year period beginning after the following events:
    • (A) the birth or adoption of a child of the member and to care for such child; or
    • (B) the placement of a minor child with the member for adoption or long-term foster care.
  • (2)
    • (A) The Secretary concerned, under uniform regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, may authorize leave described under paragraph (1) to be taken after the one-year period described in paragraph (1) in the case of a member described in subsection (b) who, except for this subparagraph, would lose unused parental leave at the end of the one-year period described in paragraph (1) as a result of—
      • (i) operational requirements;
      • (ii) professional military education obligations; or
      • (iii) other circumstances that the Secretary determines reasonable and appropriate.
    • (B) The regulations prescribed under subparagraph (A) shall require that any leave authorized to be taken after the one-year period described in paragraph (1) 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) A member described in this subsection is a member of—
  • (1) the selected reserve who is entitled to compensation under section 206 of title 37 ; or
  • (2) the individual ready reserve who is entitled to compensation under section 206 of title 37 when attending or participating in a sufficient number of periods of inactive-duty training during a year to count the year as a qualifying year of creditable service toward eligibility for retired pay.