(BOSTON 3/22/21) At the end of last month State Senator John C. Velis filed bill SD1372: An Act relative to military spouse-licensure portability, education and enrollment of dependents. This bill would help moving military families transition easier by speeding up the state professional licensing process, allowing children moving into the Commonwealth enroll in school prior to the move, and letting college students keep in-state tuition.
Relatively short durations of military assignments and long re-application processes often discourage military spouses from seeking their respective licenses when moving to a new state. This bill would require state agencies to accept or reject their application within 30 days of applying, which would help speed up the process of finding a new job.
The legislation would also create a “purple star campus” designation for schools with services geared towards frequently moving military families, including having designated-military family staff contacts and website resources for students and families. The bill would also allow rolling and virtual enrollment for students in military families who are going to move to the Commonwealth, alleviating the burden of missed deadlines and repeated classes that children with parents in the military often face.
For college students whose military family or sponsor move out the Commonwealth, the legislation also requires that they be deemed an in-state resident and still qualify for in-state tuition at institutions of higher education so long as they remain continuously enrolled.
“Moving around frequently is a fact of life for my fellow service persons in the military. It always has been. ” said Velis. “Spouses can’t work. Kids get stuck in the bureaucratic muck and fall behind in school. College students lose affordability. I just think that–we as a Commonwealth–should do everything on our power to ease transitions for families who are already sacrificing so much for us.”
Senator Velis worked closely with officials from the Department of Defense on this legislation, which follows many recommendations put forward by the Military Child Education Coalition.
“The Military Child Education Coalition applauds Massachusetts Senator John Velis and his fellow Senators for introducing SD 1372 calling for the adoption of a state-wide Purple Star Campus program,” said MCEC President and CEO Dr. Becky Porter. “The Purple Star Program has the ability to reshape the educational environment for our military-connected children and families for years to come. MCEC looks forward to increased opportunities to work side-by-side with state educators and administrators across the nation to help them earn their schools the designation of being recognized as a Purple Star Campus.”
Senator Velis is a major in the army reserves and was recently appointed the Chair of the Joint committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs.
This bill has not been referred to a committee yet.
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