# § 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.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title VI, § 601(a)(1), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 288, § 711; renumbered 710a and amended Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VI, § 603(a), (b), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1931; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(a)(10), (11), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1208.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2025—, made amendment identical to that made by . See 2024 Amendment note below.
Subsec. (a)(2)(A). , made amendment identical to that made by . See 2024 Amendment note below.
Subsec. (a)(2)(B). , made amendments identical to that made by , (B). See 2024 Amendment note below.
2024—, renumbered relating to parental leave for members of certain reserve components of the armed forces as this section.
Subsec. (a)(2). , substituted “paragraph (1)” for “subparagraph (A)” wherever appearing.
Subsec. (a)(2)(B). , substituted “subparagraph (A)” for “clause (i)” and a period for “.;” at end.
Subsec. (b). , struck out “is a member of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force who” after “described in this subsection” in introductory provisions.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2024 Amendment
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### Effective Date
> “This section [enacting this section and amending
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> , Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, and provisions set out as a note under
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> , and apply with respect to periods of parental leave that commence on or after such date.”
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