Military-Connected Children with Disabilities

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Judy Amabile and 58 co-sponsors

SB 25-073 guarantees inbound active-duty military children with IEPs or 504 plans open/remote enrollment and guaranteed matriculation, with timely services per their plan.

Governor Signed

Purpose / Intent

Clarify and strengthen enrollment and access-to-services protections for children of inbound active‑duty military members who have disabilities and already receive special education services under an IEP (IDEA) or a Section 504 plan. The statute directs local public schools and charters to treat these students comparably to resident students for enrollment and matriculation and to ensure timely provision of appropriate services.

Key provisions (enacted)

Adds subsections (3)(f) and (3)(g) to Colorado Revised Statutes § 22‑36‑107 (Inbound active duty military families — school enrollment):

Confirms that a child of an inbound active‑duty military member who has an existing IEP (per § 22‑20‑103) or a Section 504 plan (per § 22‑20‑123) is eligible for:
Open enrollment
Remote enrollment (as described elsewhere in the section)
Guaranteed matriculation under the section’s rules
Requires the enrolling school district or charter school to ensure the student “receives the appropriate services and accommodations, consistent with the child’s existing IEP or Section 504 plan, without unreasonable delay upon enrollment.”
Requires each school district and charter school to take reasonable steps to notify inbound active‑duty military members and their families of these rights, including information about special education services, to prevent inadvertent exclusion.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: inbound active‑duty military children with existing IEPs or Section 504 plans.

Obligated entities: Colorado school districts and charter schools (responsible for enrollment decisions, timely implementation of supports, and family notification).

Colorado Department of Education: provides technical assistance and guidance as needed.

Military families relocating to Colorado.

Fiscal and operational impacts

Fiscal Note (final, August 4, 2025): No state revenue or appropriation required; no material state expenditure. Any additional CDE guidance is expected to be minimal and accommodated within existing resources.

Local impact: School districts and charter schools will have increased workload to communicate with inbound military families and to implement or review IEP/504 supports; the magnitude depends on local numbers of military‑connected students.

Legislative history & sponsors

Introduced: Jan 22, 2025 (Senate). Passed both chambers in spring 2025. Governor signed on April 17, 2025.

Primary sponsors: Sen. Larry Liston and Sen. Janice Marchman; Reps. Rebecca Keltie and Matthew Martinez (house primary sponsors). Many additional cosponsors listed.

Note: Earlier drafts of the bill included more detailed transition timelines, evaluation procedures, and parental‑consent and due‑process provisions; the final enacted language focuses on enrollment eligibility, timely provision of existing IEP/504 services, and notification duties.

Bill