ANCHOR for Military Families Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The ANCHOR for Military Families Act amends title 10 section 1056 relocation assistance. Existing relocation information must be expanded to cover education systems, school enrollment procedures, and state-specific Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children provisions. It also adds educational resources for dependent children, including school transition assistance, academic continuity, and special education services. A new category covers educational planning and support services for dependent children with disabilities, including individualized education program transfer procedures and Exceptional Family Member Program coordination. The Defense Secretary must ensure service members and their families receive information on assistance under section 1056 and other permanent-change-of-station assistance available under law at least 45 days before the PCS takes effect, where practicable.
Who Benefits and How
Military families receiving PCS orders benefit from earlier and more complete relocation assistance information. Military children changing schools benefit from information on enrollment, academic continuity, and transition assistance. Dependent children with disabilities benefit from IEP transfer and Exceptional Family Member Program coordination information. School liaison officers benefit from clearer statutory education-support topics for PCS moves.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Defense relocation offices must provide education and disability-support information at least 45 days before PCS moves. Military installation family-support staff must coordinate school and special education resources. Exceptional Family Member Program coordinators must support IEP transfer and disability-service planning. School districts receiving military children may face more coordinated transition requests.
Key Provisions
- Adds school systems, enrollment procedures, and Interstate Compact provisions to PCS relocation assistance.
- Adds school transition, academic continuity, and special education resources for dependent children.
- Adds educational planning and support services for dependent children with disabilities.
- Requires PCS assistance information at least 45 days before the move takes effect where practicable.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires relocation assistance for permanent-change-of-station military families to include school systems, school enrollment procedures, Interstate Compact provisions, educational resources, academic continuity, special education services, IEP transfer procedures, Exceptional Family Member Program coordination, and delivery of assistance information at least 45 days before the move takes effect.
Key Policy Areas
Military Families, Education, Disability Services
Primary Purpose
Requires relocation assistance for permanent-change-of-station military families to include school systems, school enrollment procedures, Interstate Compact provisions, educational resources, academic continuity, special education services, IEP transfer procedures, Exceptional Family Member Program coordination, and delivery of assistance information at least 45 days before the move takes effect.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Military families receiving PCS orders
- Military children changing schools
- Dependent children with disabilities
- School liaison officers
Identified Costs
- Defense relocation offices
- Military family-support staff
- Exceptional Family Member Program coordinators
- Receiving school districts
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Randall (for herself and Mr. Wittman) introduced the following …
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Military children changing schools, Receiving school districts, School liaison officers
Positive-direction: Military children changing schools, School liaison officers
Negative-direction: Receiving school districts
Exceptional Family Member Program coordinators, Military families receiving PCS orders
Positive-direction: Military families receiving PCS orders
Negative-direction: Exceptional Family Member Program coordinators
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology