ANCHOR for Military Families Act
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMs. Randall (for herself and Mr. Wittman) introduced the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Department of Defense to provide military service members and their families with comprehensive information about relocation assistance programs at least 45 days before they move to a new duty station (called a "permanent change of station" or PCS). Currently, military families often struggle to navigate the complex web of available support programs during relocations. This bill ensures they receive timely, organized information about all the resources available to help them transition.
Who Benefits and How
Military service members and their families are the primary beneficiaries. They will receive clear, comprehensive information about housing assistance (both on-base and off-base options), educational resources for their children (including special education services and how to transfer school records), mental health support, spouse employment programs, financial and legal counseling, and other family services. Military families with children who have special education needs particularly benefit, as the bill specifically requires information about transferring Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and coordinating with the Exceptional Family Member Program. This should reduce the stress and confusion that often accompanies military relocations and help families access support they might not have known existed.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Department of Defense and military installation personnel bear the administrative burden of implementing this bill. Family Readiness Centers and personnel support offices at military bases will need to develop new materials, briefings, and digital resources to ensure all relocating families receive this information 45 days in advance. The DoD must also create a communication strategy to raise awareness of these programs, assess family satisfaction with the information provided, and brief Congress annually for three years on implementation progress. While these are new administrative requirements, they involve organizing and communicating information about existing programs rather than creating entirely new services.
Key Provisions
- Requires DoD to provide relocation assistance information to military families at least 45 days before a permanent change of station
- Expands required information to include details on educational resources (including special education and the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children), family assistance programs, housing options, mental health services, and legal/financial counseling
- Mandates that DoD create accessible materials and briefings both at military installations and online
- Requires DoD to develop a communication strategy to increase awareness of available programs
- Requires DoD to assess family satisfaction with the information provided
- Mandates annual congressional briefings on implementation for three years after enactment
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
This bill requires the Secretary of Defense to provide comprehensive information about relocation assistance programs to military members and families at least 45 days before a permanent change of station.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Improve support for military families during relocations by mandating comprehensive, timely information dissemination and tracking program effectiveness through annual reporting"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Military service members
- Military spouses
- Military dependent children
- Military families with special needs children
Likely Burden Bearers
- Department of Defense administrative staff
- Military installation personnel responsible for family programs
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Includes family assistance programs (financial planning, spouse employment, community integration), housing assistance, mental health support, educational resources, legal/financial counseling, and other relocation support programs
Information must include community orientation, education systems, school enrollment procedures, and State-specific provisions under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
Includes school transition assistance, academic continuity, and special education services
Procedures for transferring individualized education programs and coordinating with the Exceptional Family Member Program
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