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Read. Follow. Verify.Maryland requires county schools to provide remote advance enrollment for military dependent children
Last action · May 26, 2026: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 645Sponsors: Ben Brooks and 9 others
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What This Bill Does
County superintendents must allow relocating active-duty service members to remotely advance-enroll their dependent children in public schools without paying fees or appearing in person. The law requires remote registration to track out-of-state special education plans, ensures continued enrollment through the school year even if residency changes, and directs the Secretary of Veterans and Military Families to publish enrollment guidance.
Relocating military families gain the legal right to secure public school placements and course registrations before arriving in a Maryland county, while schools must coordinate to continue existing special education accommodations without delay.
- Maryland law provides special education and related services under state board regulations and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Active service members
Active service members relocating to Maryland on official orders gain the right to advance-enroll their dependent children remotely without paying fees or appearing in person.
Dependent children with a disability
Children with an individualized education program or 504 plan from a sending state are guaranteed continued appropriate education without undue delay through county board coordination.
County superintendents of schools
County superintendents are required to establish a free remote registration process and accept alternative forms of proof of residence for relocating service members.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can schools charge a fee for the remote advance enrollment process?
What happens if a military child has an individualized education program from another state?
What documentation is required to finalize advance enrollment?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
17 actions- May 26, 2026Governor of MarylandEnrolledApproved by the Governor - Chapter 645
- Apr 9, 2026SenateFloorReturned Passed
- Apr 8, 2026HouseFloorThird Reading Passed (131-0)
- Apr 3, 2026HouseFloorFavorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
- Apr 2, 2026HouseCommitteeFavorable Report by Ways and Means
- Mar 25, 2026HouseHearing 3/25 at 1:30 p.m.
Show 11 earlier actions
- Mar 25, 2026HouseHearing canceled
- Mar 16, 2026HouseHearing 3/25 at 1:00 p.m.
- Mar 13, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred Ways and Means
- Mar 12, 2026SenateFloorThird Reading Passed (45-0)
- Mar 10, 2026SenateFloorSecond Reading Passed with Amendments
- Mar 10, 2026SenateFavorable with Amendments { 743526/1 Adopted
- Mar 9, 2026SenateCommitteeFavorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment
- Feb 19, 2026SenateHearing 2/27 at 1:00 p.m.
- Feb 19, 2026SenateHearing canceled
- Jan 29, 2026SenateHearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
- Jan 19, 2026SenateIntroducedFirst Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Elimination of In-Person Barriers for Military Relocation
The legislation removes traditional in-person residency and appearance barriers by permitting advance remote enrollment using temporary on-base or off-base military housing addresses.
Connected Entities
Sources
mgaleg.maryland.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy5Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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