COMPASS Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4783
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-06T20:50:45Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to ensure educational continuity for military-connected students who are homeschooled, reduce administrative burdens from frequent relocations, prevent conflicting state homeschooling rules from disadvantaging military families, support servicemember readiness, and align homeschooling protections with existing federal rules on domicile and legal residence.
Key Provisions
- Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by adding a new Section 708.
- A dependent child educated at home is deemed compliant with the compulsory education and homeschooling laws of the state where the family is stationed under permanent change of station orders, provided the child meets the requirements of either that state or the servicemember’s state of legal residence.
- Defines “child” by reference to section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
- Updates the SCRA table of contents to include the new section.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Extends SCRA protections—previously focused on domicile and legal residence issues—to homeschooling compliance, creating a federal override mechanism for state compulsory education rules during military moves.
Potential Impacts
- Reduces legal and administrative hurdles for military families relocating across state lines.
- May limit state enforcement of homeschooling standards against military families who meet the requirements of their legal residence state.
- Affects state education agencies responsible for overseeing compulsory attendance and homeschooling regulations.
- No direct effects on international relations are addressed.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Servicemembers and their dependent children who homeschool.
- State education departments and homeschooling oversight bodies.
- The Department of Defense and uniformed services branches.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Invokes federal preemption under the SCRA, potentially superseding varying state education laws for covered military families.
- Reinforces existing federal policy treating military legal residence as a basis for protections, extending this principle to homeschooling.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC], Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL], Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-15: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-06-15: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Continuity of Military Parents’ Academic Schooling and State Standards Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-15 — PDF (3 pages)