State Support of Military Families with Special Education Needs

To amend Section 16-28-60, relating to the remote enrollment of children of active duty military personnel in public K-12 schools; to include the remote enrollment of special needs children of active duty military personnel; to provide for the transfer of records relating to the child; and to require informed parental consent prior to the reevaluation of the special needs student.

This act further improves the Arkansas Military Child School Transitions Act of 2021, § 6-28-101 et seq., by: (1) Eliminating the one-year limitation on eligibility of children of Gold Star families and medically separated or retired families to be covered by this act; (2) Allowing public schools to apply provisions of this act to all students who apply for enrollment in a public school in addition to those students who are dependents of members of the uniformed services; (3) Defining actions for military services families to accomplish when applying for enrollment in advance of their arrival in Arkansas; (4) Expanding authority of receiving districts' special education staff members to proactively collaborate with sending districts to facilitate a smooth transition of incoming students with disabilities; and (5) Providing for the Purple Star School Program development and administration.

CA Governor Newsom signed AB 1412 in October 2025, which will help to minimize delays for students transferring into the state with existing Individualized Education Programs (IEP) or Section 504 Plans. Effective January 1, 2026, this bill requires a local educational agency, within 30 days of receipt of official records or specified unofficial records, to either adopt and implement the individualized education program previously adopted for the pupil or develop, adopt, and implement a new individualized education program for the pupil that is consistent with federal and state law, if applicable. It also reiterates requirements under Advance Enrollment and Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children statutes to require school districts to accept hand-carried, unofficial copies of records provided by parents of military-connected students until official records are received from the sending school district.

This policy clarifies that Colorado's existing advance enrollment statute for military-connected students includes those with special education needs.

With Governor Lamont's signature, Public Act 25-15, allows military-connected children in Connecticut to transfer any Individual Education Plan within 30 days of enrollment, and allows military-connected children to remain in their school district for the duration of the school year, even if their parent relocates due to military orders. Any child in grade eleven, may continue for one additional school year to graduate from that district.

Military families in Maryland will find it easier to educate their children when transitioning between duty stations, thanks to a comprehensive legislative package designed to streamline education and improve state support for military-connected families sponsored by Delegate Edith Patterson and Senator Benjamin Brooks. The law allows incoming military families to remotely register and enroll their children in local school systems ahead of their physical relocation to the state, preventing unnecessary gaps in instruction. The law further enhances the Maryland State Military Interstate Children's Compact Council and Purple Star School Program frameworks to ease school transitions, credit transfers, and social integration for military children while promoting participation in the Purple Star Schools program. The law also provides flexibility to ensure students can remain in their chosen schools for the duration of the academic year, even if their family undergoes mid-year housing transitions. The also provides for military students with special needs by requiring schools to transfer individualized education programs (IEPs) records for military-connected children with disabilities or specialized as soon as the family enrolls the child into a Maryland public school.

Chapter 24 authorizes witness fee reimbursement for a parent in the armed forces who represents themself at a special education hearing and prevails. Witness fees incurred by parents who are members of the armed forces shall, in due process hearings, be reimbursed by the department of education if the hearing officer finds in favor of the parent.

New Jersey is the best practice model for timeliness, requiring a new Individualized Education Program to be implemented within 30 days of a student’s transfer from another school system. New Jersey is also the best practice model for reducing burdens, where the school district shall have the burden of proof and the burden of production.

Senator Duhamel led efforts on this bill which requires a school district accept an existing Section 504 plan, individualized family service plan, or individualized education program for incoming students who are children of active-duty military members. If a school is unable or unwilling to accept an existing plan, the school must implement a new or revised plan within 30 days.