LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS IN THE STATE CAPITOL
As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and the chairman of the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, it is a great honor to file Senate Bill 306. This proposal aims to improve the quality of life for service members and their families when they are being called to serve our country. Senate Bill 306 allows for the remote registration of a student if one or both of the child’s parents are being relocated to Missouri under military orders. About 185,000 military children move between schools annually, which results in them potentially missing their school’s registration deadline. The bill specifies that proof of residency shall not be required at the time of registration, but shall be required within 10 days of the student attending the new school.
The bill also aims to clarify state law regarding the residency requirements for the children of military members who hope to receive in-state tuition from one of Missouri’s higher education institutions. Under current law, if the parent was transferred to an out-of-state military base, between receiving the acceptance letter and the first day of class, the student’s residency status could possibly change. This bill would allow the student to continue to be deemed a resident of Missouri as long as they remained continuously enrolled in the college/ university. In addition, SB 306 provides active duty and reserve members of the United States Armed Forces and the Missouri National Guard the right to cancel contracts for telecommunications services, internet services, satellite or streaming television services, athletic club or gym memberships, satellite radio service or other similar services without penalty if ordered to a duty location that does not support the contract for more than 30 days.
Last week, the bill was heard in the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee where Martin Dempsey, a representative from the Unites States Department of Defense State Liaison Office, testified in support of the bill. Dempsey said he was proud that the state of Missouri was addressing several policy issues that extend provisions of the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) to members of the Missouri National Guard and the Active Reserves.
During the hearing, Dempsey emphasized that in order to re-enlist the soldier, we have to re-enlist the family.
I will continue to work to ensure that Missouri is a military-friendly state. We want our state to be attractive to military members and their families when they are considering moving to Missouri.
