Comments Document

Attached find the written testimony of the United States Department of Defense on House Bill 1880.

Madam Chair and members of the Subcommittee: My name is Rick Dwyer and I am the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance. I am also a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and served over 20 years on active duty. The communities of Hampton Roads collectively support 18 military installations, all six branches of the military services, 120,000 active duty, reserve and civilian personnel, over 125,000 military dependents, and nearly 220,000 veterans. In 2023, the Department of Defense spent over $68.5 billion in Virginia and directly employed over 247,000 people. Needless to say, supporting the military and our national defense is part of who we are in Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth. I am here today to express our strong support for House Bills 1880 and 1881. Highly mobile military children are more likely to experience recurring education disruptions and challenges, particularly those with needs for special education and related services. HB1880 requires the timely establishment of comparable special education services by a receiving school district which can help alleviate these burdens on military families assigned to Virginia. Additionally, military families often have limited housing options when moving to a new location as part of permanent change of station orders, resulting in limited school options for military children. Many military families must also move from temporary to permanent housing at some point after school has started, or from permanent to temporary housing prior to moving out of state on military orders. And some families have no choice but to live in on-base military housing due to command requirements, so they may not be able to access schooling or placement options available to other students. House Bill 1881 would address the unique school enrollment needs of military families by requiring school districts to develop and implement policies to allow military service members to enroll their children in school districts where they do not reside. It would alleviate one of the primary stressors on our military families as they move to Virginia in service of our country. We would like to recommend a minor change to the HB1881 language. Paragraph C contains language that would limit these enrollment options to military members whose “Home of Record” is Virginia. Home of Record is a formal military administrative term and is typically the state where a person joined the military. Home of Record can only be changed if it was done incorrectly at the time of enlistment or when an enlisted member signs a new enlistment contract. If the Home of Record language is not removed, then the majority of service members stationed in Virginia would not benefit from the bill. These bills send a clear signal that Virginia values its strong relationship with the military and is willing to continuously support efforts to make the Commonwealth the most military-friendly state in the country. We humbly request your support of HB1880 and HB1881 that support those who defend our nation. Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Michelle Norman, Executive Director and Founder of Partners in PROMISE, a nonprofit organization that advocates on protecting the rights of military children in special education and disability communities to ensure they receive equal access to an education. We develop data-informed solutions that equip parents, inform leaders, and enable military students to thrive. We support these two important provisions, HB 1880 and 1881. Frequent moves disrupt educational services for military-connected children, especially those with disabilities, leading to delays in receiving Individualized Education Program (IEP) services and further compounded with each move. Our data show that military-connected children in special education wait on average 4.25 months for their IEPs to be implemented their new school. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) helps with education issues, but it lacks specific provisions for children with disabilities. Additionally, unreliable data on military students with disabilities and variations in school choice availability across states further complicate transitions. A unified open enrollment option will give military families with special needs options. Additionally, ensuring comparable services and evaluations, if necessary , are completed within 30 days would positively impact the educational outcomes of our most vulnerable military children. Thank you for your consideration.