This bill amends RCW 28A.225.216 to change residency and enrollment rules for children of military families. Under the amendment, a child of a military family meets a district's residency requirements if a parent is transferred to, or pending transfer to, a military installation within Washington or a bordering state, or the family is relocating due to a military exigency under official military orders. Parents must provide official military orders or documentation from a military commander and must provide proof of residence in the district within 90 calendar days of enrollment; acceptable proofs include temporary lodging with intent to obtain permanent housing, a purchased or leased residence or signed purchase agreement or lease, and federal or off‑base military housing including public‑private venture housing. The amendment requires school districts to accept, on a conditional basis, enrollment applications and course registration (including placement in a specific school or program) before the family arrives in the state, by electronic or other means, with final enrollment completed after the required proof is provided. For students transferring with an IEP or a section 504 plan, the receiving district must accept records and prior evaluations and ensure services and accommodations consistent with the existing plan without unreasonable delay; if a reevaluation is necessary it must occur within 30 calendar days after arrival, subject to informed parental consent. Nonresident districts are not required to provide transportation unless state or federal law requires it. This is a procedural change to existing law rather than the creation of a new crime or penalty. The amendment references and depends on definitions in RCW 28A.705.010, which are not included here. The document shows the bill was read for the first time on 01/22/26 and referred to the Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education; no effective date or other sections of the bill are provided in the extracted facts.

If enacted, the bill would let children from military families be enrolled in a Washington school before the family arrives in state so long as parents provide official military orders or commander documentation and then show proof of district residence within 90 days (temporary lodging, a purchase/lease or federal/off‑base military housing are listed as acceptable). For students who transfer with an IEP or 504 plan, the receiving district must accept records and put services or accommodations in place without unreasonable delay and complete any needed reevaluation within 30 days after arrival (with parental consent). Nonresident districts are not required to provide transportation. The people most affected are military families and school districts. Families gain earlier certainty about school placement and time to secure housing, but must produce orders and residence proof within the 90‑day window. Districts will need to accept and conditionally process prearrival enrollments, hold spots in specific schools or programs, and be prepared to provide or arrange special education services and quick reevaluations, which could increase administrative and special‑education workload and related costs; the bill text does not include funding or an effective date and it relies on definitions found elsewhere, so some implementation details remain unclear.