MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- MILITARY CHILD ACT, the official text

S2756 2026 -- S 2756 ======== LC005878 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- MILITARY CHILD ACT Introduced By: Senators Felag, Burke, Tikoian, Raptakis, Appollonio, Euer, Britto, Bissaillon, Ciccone, and E Morgan Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Title 30 of the General Laws entitled MILITARY AFFAIRS AND 2 DEFENSE is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 3 CHAPTER 30.4 4 THE MILITARY CHILD ACT 5 30-30.4-1. Short title. 6 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Military Child Act. 7 30-30.4-2. Definitions. 8 As used in this chapter: 9 (1) “Military-connected student” means a student who is the dependent of either a person 10 in the active military service of the United States or in a full-time status during active service with 11 a force of the Rhode Island national guard. 12 30-30.4-3. Advance enrollment. 13 A military-connected student whose parent or guardian is being relocated to this state under 14 military orders and is transferred to or is pending transfer to a military installation within the state, 15 shall be deemed to be a resident pupil of a school system of a city or town for the purposes of 16 enrollment. The Rhode Island board of education shall permit military-connected students to enroll 17 preliminarily by remote registration without charge and shall not require the parents or guardians 18 of the military-connected student or the student to physically appear at a location within the district 19 to register the student, if the parents or guardians present evidence of military orders that a parent 1 or guardian shall be stationed in this state during the current or following school year. The parents 2 or guardians may use an address within the school district where the military-connected student is 3 to be enrolled of a temporary on-base billeting facility, a purchased or leased home or apartment, 4 or federal government or public-private venture off-base military housing. Proof of required 5 residency shall not be required at the time of the remote registration, but shall be required within 6 ten (10) days of the student’s attendance in the school system of the city or town where the student 7 resides. 8 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC005878 ======== LC005878 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO MILITARY AFFAIRS AND DEFENSE -- MILITARY CHILD ACT *** 1 This act would define military-connected student and permit military-connected students 2 to enroll by remote registration upon presentation of military orders confirming that the parent or 3 guardian shall be stationed in this state during the current or following school year. 4 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC005878 ======== LC005878 - Page 3 of 3