HB 615 — Enrollment Stability for Military Students.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 21 HOUSE BILL 615 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/29/25 Short Title:

Representatives Loftis, Potts, Lambeth, and Willis (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs, if favorable, Education - K-12, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 1, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO PROVIDE MILITARY FAMILIES ADDITIONAL TIME TO PROVIDE PROOF OF RESIDENCY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT.

"(a9) A student who is not a domiciliary of a local school administrative unit that resides with a parent or legal guardian that is on active military duty shall be permitted to register to enroll in the public schools of that unit by remote means, including electronic means, prior to commencement of the student's residency in the local school administrative unit if all of the following apply:apply:subject to the following conditions:

(1) ATo parentbe oreligible legalto guardianregister is (i) on active military duty and is transferred or pending transfer pursuant to anenroll officialprior military order to becoming a militaryinstallationdomiciliary, orall reservationof in the State.Statefollowing orconditions (ii)must will be separatingmet: from active military duty within a 12-month period.

(2) Upon request by the local school administrative unit where the student seeks toregistertoenroll,aparentorlegalguardianprovidesacopyof (i)theofficial military order transferring to a military installation or reservation located in the State.State, (ii) the official separation orders, or (iii) an official military document showing the anticipated date of separation or date of projected Permanent Change of Station to the State.

(3) A parent or legal guardian completes and submits the local school administrative unit's required enrollment forms and documentation, except that other than proof of residency and documentation related to disciplinary actions pursuant to G.S.

115C-366(a4) shall not be required until the student transfers into the local school administrative unit, at which time they shall be required prior to commencing attendance.G.S.

115C-366(a4).

(4) A parent or legal guardian shall submit proof of residency and documentation related to the disciplinary actions pursuant to G.S.

115C-366(a4) upon the child commencing attendance.

If the proof of residency has not yet become available because the parent or legal guardian and child are residing in temporaryhousing, thelocal school administrative unit shall do the following:

AllowA theparent childor tolegal enrollguardian andis beginon attendingactive schoolmilitary induty thatand unit(i) ofis anticipatedtransferred domicileor forpending atransfer periodpursuant ofto upan toofficial onemilitary yearorder (i)to froma themilitary parentinstallation or legalreservation guardian'sin reporting-for-dutydate,the separationState.State date from active military duty, or anticipated(ii) separationis dateseparating from active military duty orservice (ii)within through the endnext of12 themonths schooland yearintends beforeto beingestablish consideredresidency ain residentthe ofState. another local school administrative unit.

*H615-v-2*(2)b. General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 b.

AllowUpon arequest childbythe wholocal isschool aadministrative highunit schoolwhere juniorthe orstudent seniorseeks to enrollregisterto andenroll, beginaparent attendingorlegal schoolguardian provides (i)a copy of the official military order transferring to a military installation or reservation located in thatthe State.State or (ii) an official military documentshowingan anticipateddate ofseparation.Eachlocal school administrative unit ofmay determine the document or documents sufficient to establish an anticipated domiciledate throughof highseparation schoolso graduation.long as the document required is easily accessible by the parent or legal guardian.

(3)c.

A parent or legal guardian completes and submits the local school administrative unit's required enrollment forms and documentation, except that proof of residency and documentation related to disciplinary actions pursuant to G.S.

115C-366(a4) shall not be required until the student transfers into the local school administrative unit, at which time they shall be required prior to commencing attendance.

(2) Once registered to be enrolled, the following apply:

*H615-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 a.

Ab. student enrolled pursuant to this subsection may not attend school in the local school administrative unit until proof of residency is provided in accordance with the requirements ofthelocal school administrativeunit.

NothinginA thisstudent subsectionshallenrolled beconstruedpursuant to curtailthis asubsection may not attend school in the local school administrative unit'sunit authorityuntil pursuantproof toof G.S.residency is provided in accordance with the requirements of the local school administrative unit.the later of (i) one year from the parent or legal guardian's reporting-for-duty or separation date or (ii) the end of the school year in which the student began attending the school.

The parent or legal guardian shall provide proof of residency before the expiration of the allotted period of attendance provided in this sub-subdivision.

c.

If a student begins attending a school pursuant to this subsection in grade 11 or 12, the local school administrative unit shall extend the period of attendance allowed under sub-subdivision b.

of this subdivision to allow the student to attend the school through high school graduation.

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to curtail a local school administrative unit's authority pursuant to G.S.

Page 2 House Bill 615-Second615-First Edition