The U.S. House of Representatives passed Representative Zach Nunn’s (IA-03) bipartisan bill to expand parental leave for service members on July 14. The Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act, which Rep. Nunn co-led with Representative Jeff Jackson (NC-14), would expand parental leave for parents serving in the drilling Reserve and National Guard.
“Anyone who is willing to serve our country deserves time with their new children,” Rep. Nunn said. “Passing this bill is a huge win for parents in the military. As a current Air Force Reservist and a father, I am thrilled that our National Guard and Reserve members are now one step closer to having equal access to parental leave.”
The Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act addresses a disparity under current policies that passed Congress in 2021 to expand parental leave for fathers and adoptive parents in active duty but did not include drilling members of the Reserve and National Guard. Currently, leave policies for drill members are limited to new mothers.
The bill, which was originally introduced on April 13, 2023 at the American Legion in Bondurant, Iowa, passed the House of Representatives as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The legislation will be considered by the Senate next.
Rep. Nunn currently serves in the Air Force Reserve. With six children, including two recently adopted foster daughters, Rep. Nunn has experienced the policy disparity firsthand.
Video from the press conference announcing the bill can be found here. Text of the legislation can be found here.
