[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 512. Ms. DUCKWORTH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of 
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. PARENTAL LEAVE FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

       Section 701 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by striking subsections (i) and (j);
       (2) by redesignating subsection (k) as subsection (j); and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (h) the following new 
     subsection (i):
       ``(i)(1) A member of the armed forces, regardless of gender 
     or marital status, shall be authorized to take at least 84 
     days of parental leave to be used in connection with--
       ``(A) the birth of a child of the member;
       ``(B) a qualifying adoption of a child by the member; or
       ``(C) the placement of a child in foster care with the 
     member.
       ``(2) In the case of a dual military family, both members 
     of the armed forces shall be authorized to take parental 
     leave under this subsection. The Secretary concerned shall 
     permit the transfer of such leave between the two members to 
     accommodate individual family circumstances.
       ``(3) For the purpose of parental leave under this 
     subsection, an adoption of a child by a member of the armed 
     forces is a qualifying child adoption if the member is 
     eligible for reimbursement of qualified adoption expenses for 
     such adoption under section 1052 of this title.
       ``(4) Parental leave under paragraph (1) is in addition to 
     other leave provided under other provisions of this section 
     or under other legal authority. Nothing in this subsection 
     prevents the Secretary concerned from authorizing 
     convalescent leave for a female member of the armed forces as 
     necessary prior or subsequent to the delivery of her child. 
     Convalescent or other leave taken before childbirth by a 
     pregnant member shall not reduce the number of days of 
     parental leave available to the member under this subsection.
       ``(5) The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard when it is 
     not operating as a service in the Navy, shall prescribe 
     regulations to implement this subsection, which shall be 
     uniform for the armed forces.''.
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