The COMPASS Act is a federal bill introduced in June 2026 that would let active-duty military families who homeschool follow the homeschooling laws of either their legal home state or the state they are relocated to, rather than having to re-comply with a different set of rules after every move.1U.S. Senate. S.4783 – COMPASS Act Its full title is the Continuity of Military Parents’ Academic Schooling and State Standards Act of 2026. A separate Maryland state law signed the same year uses the same acronym but is unrelated; it overhauls public school accountability ratings and is covered at the end of this article.
What the Federal Bill Would Change
S.4783 would add a new Section 708 to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) covering compulsory education and homeschooling laws.2Congress.gov. Senator Ted Cruz – Sponsored Legislation Under the provision, a homeschooled dependent child of a servicemember who receives permanent change of station (PCS) orders would be deemed in compliance with the new state’s compulsory education and homeschooling laws as long as the family is following either that new state’s rules or the rules of the servicemember’s legal state of residence.1U.S. Senate. S.4783 – COMPASS Act
In practical terms, a family legally homeschooling under, say, Texas rules could keep operating under that framework after moving to a state with heavier notification, testing, or curriculum-reporting requirements. Or they could switch to the new state’s rules if that worked better. The choice sits with the family.
Why Military Homeschool Families Need It
Active-duty families move roughly every two and a half years, and military children typically change schools six to nine times during their education.3U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Pat Harrigan Introduces COMPASS Act to Protect Military Homeschool Families About 12 percent of active-duty families homeschool, roughly double the civilian rate.4Office of Senator Ted Cruz. Sens. Cruz, Budd, Moody Introduce Bill to Support Military Homeschool Families Because every state writes its own homeschool law, a PCS move can put a compliant family instantly out of compliance.
The SCRA already shields military families from conflicting state rules on taxes, voting, and driver’s licenses. Homeschooling has not been on that list. Senator Ted Cruz, the lead Senate sponsor, said “conflicting state homeschooling laws can undermine military readiness, family resilience, and retention by forcing servicemembers and their spouses to navigate different requirements each time the Department of War relocates them.” Representative Pat Harrigan, who filed the House companion, described it as extending “the same common-sense principle” the SCRA already applies to taxes and voting.4Office of Senator Ted Cruz. Sens. Cruz, Budd, Moody Introduce Bill to Support Military Homeschool Families
Sponsors, Supporters, and Current Status
Senator Cruz introduced S.4783 on June 15, 2026, joined by Senators Ted Budd of North Carolina and Ashley Moody of Florida as original cosponsors.5Office of Senator Ted Cruz. COMPASS Act Bill Text Congressman Harrigan introduced the House companion the next day, June 16, 2026.3U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Pat Harrigan Introduces COMPASS Act to Protect Military Homeschool Families The Senate bill was referred to the Committee on Armed Services.2Congress.gov. Senator Ted Cruz – Sponsored Legislation The Home School Legal Defense Association, the Military Child Education Coalition, and the Military Homeschoolers Association endorsed the bill at introduction.4Office of Senator Ted Cruz. Sens. Cruz, Budd, Moody Introduce Bill to Support Military Homeschool Families
As of the June 2026 introduction, no committee hearings or votes had been publicly scheduled in either chamber. Both the Senate and House would need to pass the bill before it could go to the President.
The Unrelated Maryland COMPASS Act
If you were searching for Maryland’s COMPASS Act, that is a different law. House Bill 1582, the Comprehensive Outcomes and Measures of Progress for Supporting Schools Act, was signed as Chapter 593 on May 26, 2026, with an effective date of July 1, 2026.6Maryland General Assembly. HB1582 – Education – Program of Educational Accountability – Alterations It rewrites the state’s one- to four-star public school rating system, which officials said did not adequately reflect school quality and shortchanged schools serving many low-income students.7Maryland Matters. Work to Begin on New School Rating System to Replace Current Star System The bill was sponsored by House Ways and Means Chair Jheanelle Wilkins at the request of the Maryland Department of Education and passed the House 98-37 and the Senate 36-11.
Among the concrete changes: the share of a school’s overall score tied to academic measures rises from 65 percent to 70 percent, individual proficiency indicators are capped at 20 percent of the score, a staffing measure is added as a permissible school quality indicator, and schools get credit for offering a well-rounded curriculum beyond reading, writing, and math.8Maryland Public Schools. Accountability Model Mapping The redesigned system is targeted to take effect for the 2027-28 school year.7Maryland Matters. Work to Begin on New School Rating System to Replace Current Star System