Bill > S2676

This bill enhances support and legal protections for military-connected families across several key areas. It expands state court jurisdiction to handle certain federal law violations committed by minors on military installations when federal authorities waive exclusive jurisdiction. The bill allows the governor to accept retrocession of federal jurisdictional control over properties and mandates a streamlined process for transferring juvenile jurisdictional matters from federal to state control. In the education sector, the bill requires school districts to take reasonable steps to maintain educational support for military-connected students with existing special education or disability plans when they transfer schools, including obtaining prior records and conducting necessary evaluations. Additionally, the bill provides military-connected students the right to remain enrolled in their original school even after a parent's relocation, with some transportation limitations. The legislation also introduces a new legal definition for "military protective orders" issued by military commanding officers and ensures these orders are admissible as evidence in protective order proceedings, thereby providing additional legal protections for military personnel and their families. Overall, the bill aims to create more supportive and flexible legal and educational frameworks for military families.

Senate Committee on Ways and Means (Senate)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2676