Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission Improvement Act
Bill: H.R.8342 | Sponsor: Rep. Wilson, Joe (R-SC)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission Improvement Act
This bill requires the military departments to develop recommendations to improve and fully implement the Military Interstate Children's Compact, which addresses the educational transition issues of children of military families.

To require the development of recommendations to improve and fully 
  implement the Military Interstate Children's Compact, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Interstate Children's 
Compact Commission Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MILITARY INTERSTATE 
              CHILDREN'S COMPACT.

    (a) Recommendations Required.--The Secretaries concerned, in 
consultation with States through the Defense-State Liaison Office, 
shall develop recommendations to improve and fully implement the 
Military Interstate Children's Compact.
    (b) Considerations.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Secretaries concerned shall--
            (1) identify any barriers--
                    (A) to the ability of a parent of a transferring 
                military-connected child to enroll the child, in 
                advance, in an elementary or secondary school in the 
                State in which the child is transferring, without 
                requiring the parent or child to be physically present 
                in the State; and
                    (B) to the ability of a transferring military-
                connected child who receives special education services 
                to gain access to such services and related supports in 
                the State to which the child transfers within the 
                timeframes required under the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.);
            (2) consider the feasibility and advisability of--
                    (A) tracking and reporting the number of families 
                who use advanced enrollment in States that offer 
                advanced enrollment to military-connected children;
                    (B) States clarifying in legislation that 
                eligibility for advanced enrollment requires only 
                written evidence of a permanent change of station 
                order, and does not require a parent of a military-
                connected child to produce a rental agreement or 
                mortgage statement; and
                    (C) the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with 
                the Military Interstate Children's Compact, developing 
                a letter or other memorandum that military families may 
                present to local educational agencies that outlines the 
                protections afforded to military-connected children by 
                the Military Interstate Children's Compact; and
            (3) identify any other actions that may be taken by the 
        States (acting together or separately) to improve the Military 
        Interstate Children's Compact.
    (c) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries concerned shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees and to the States a report setting 
forth the recommendations developed under subsection (a).
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the congressional defense committees;
                    (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                Pensions and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
                    (C) the Committee on Education and Labor and the 
                Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) The terms ``child'', ``elementary school'', ``local 
        educational agency'', ``secondary school'', ``parent'', and 
        ``State'' have the meanings given those terms in section 8101 
        of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 7801).
            (3) The terms ``armed forces'', ``active duty'' and 
        ``congressional defense committees'' have the meanings given 
        those terms in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
            (4) The term ``transferring military-connected child'' 
        means the child of a parent who--
                    (A) is serving on active duty in the armed forces;
                    (B) is changing duty locations due to a permanent 
                change of station order; and
                    (C) has not yet established an ongoing physical 
                presence in the State to which the parent is 
                transferring.
            (5) The term ``Military Interstate Children's Compact'' 
        means the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for 
        Military Children as described in Department of Defense 
        Instruction 1342.29, dated January 31, 2017 (or any successor 
        to such instruction).
            (6) The term ``Secretary concerned'' means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Defense, with respect to 
                matters concerning the Department of Defense; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the department in which the 
                Coast Guard is operating, with respect to matters 
                concerning the Coast Guard when it is not operating as 
                a service in the Department of the Navy.
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