Senate to consider bill providing educational rights to children of service members – New Hampshire Bulletin

Army households may obtain new academic rights for youngsters or dependents underneath a invoice set to seem earlier than the New Hampshire Senate subsequent week. 

Home Invoice 1653 would create a brand new chapter in state regulation to determine “military-connected college students”  in New Hampshire and would permit these college students to attend any public college no matter hometown. 

The proposed laws would make these youngsters “eligible for admission to the college district of their selection,” if considered one of their mother and father has a Division of Protection-issued identification card or can present documentation that they are going to be deployed within the close to future. Presently, all households should reside of their public college district to attend. 

The invoice would additionally require public faculties to supply sure providers ought to a pupil’s mum or dad be known as into obligation. Below the invoice, public faculties could be required to supply licensed counseling providers to any pupil whose mum or dad is a member of the armed providers and is known as into energetic obligation. Colleges could be required to refer these college students to state or federal assist applications. 

Supporters of the laws have mentioned it is going to assist alleviate stress on army households, together with these within the state’s Nationwide Guard. 

The invoice accommodates quite a few provisions past public faculties. It will additionally require that the state’s faculty and college system and group faculty methods cost in-state tuition to any partner or little one of an energetic member of the armed forces, even when that member have been transferred out of the state. That provision would apply so long as the kid or partner “resides constantly in New Hampshire whereas enrolled in such a postsecondary establishment,” the invoice states.

And the laws would create non permanent skilled licenses for members of the armed forces or their spouses who’ve transferred into New Hampshire – offered they held the identical license in one other state. These licenses would final six months and could possibly be renewed as soon as. 

Up to now, the invoice has sailed by way of the Legislature with unanimous assist, incomes a voice vote within the Home and a 5-0 advice of “should cross” by the Senate Schooling Committee. The total Senate will take up a model of the invoice amended by that committee on April 20. 

“This invoice comprehensively addresses academic transition for military-connected dependents and gives vital protections for the Nationwide Guard and the reserve element households,” mentioned Rep. Al Baldasaro, a Londonderry Republican, in an handle to the Home in February.