KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

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HB343 • 2026

RIGHT TO ATTEND SCHOOL; MILITARY TRANSFER

An Act relating to earning secondary school course credit through assessment; and relating to a child's right to attend a public school.

Children Education Parental Rights Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVES ALLARD, McCabe
Last action
2026-05-05
Official status
(H) MLV
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text confirms 'upon the request of the student's parent or guardian' for testing, which supports the candidate claim but specifies who can make the request.

HB 343: School Credit Tests and Military Family Enrollment

This bill changes rules for how high school students can earn course credits through tests and ensures children of military families moving to Alaska are admitted to public schools.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires school districts to let grades nine through twelve take a test at least three times a year or upon request to prove they know the material in math, language arts, science, social studies, or world languages.
  • Mandates that students who pass these tests receive full credit for the courses they challenged.
  • Requires schools to offer testing opportunities within three weeks of enrollment for children whose parents are active duty military members transferring into Alaska from another state under an official order.
  • Orders school districts and the department to notify military families about their right to take course challenge tests immediately after the student enrolls.
  • Allows preschool-aged children who were previously enrolled in public schools or Department of Defense programs outside the district to be admitted if they move into a new district.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Students in grades nine through twelve attending Alaska school districts
  • Parents and guardians serving as active duty military members transferring to Alaska under an official order
  • Preschool-aged children moving from other public schools or Department of Defense programs
  • Alaska school districts and the state department responsible for education

Terms To Know

Course challenge
A test a student takes to prove they have mastered course material without taking the full class.
Military installation
Any base, camp, post, station, yard, center, ship homeport facility, armory, or other site under U.S. Department of Defense or Coast Guard control.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify the exact dates when testing must occur beyond the requirement for three times a year.
  • The text does not state what happens if a student fails to pass a course challenge test.
  • No effective date is listed in the provided source material.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-05 Text

    (H) <Bill Hearing Canceled>

  2. 2026-05-05 Text

    (H) MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS at 10:15 AM BARNES 124

  3. 2026-04-30 Text

    (H) -- MEETING CANCELED --

  4. 2026-04-30 Text

    (H) MILITARY & VETERANS' AFFAIRS at 10:15 AM BARNES 124

  5. 2026-03-27 1980

    (H) COSPONSOR(S): MCCABE

  6. 2026-02-23 1687

    (H) REFERRED TO MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS

  7. 2026-02-23 1687

    (H) MLV, EDC

  8. 2026-02-23 1687

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

RIGHT TO ATTEND SCHOOL; MILITARY TRANSFER
An Act relating to earning secondary school course credit through assessment; and relating to a child's right to attend a public school.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB0343a -1- HB 343
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1021\G

HOUSE BILL NO. 343

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVES ALLARD, McCabe

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: House Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs, Education

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to earning secondary school course credit through assessment; and 1
relating to a child's right to attend a public school." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.03.073(a) is amended to read: 4
(a) A school district shall provide an [THE] opportunity at least three times a 5
year, or upon the request of the student's parent or guardian, for a student 6
[STUDENTS] enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the district to challenge one or 7
more courses provided by the district by demonstrating mastery in mathematics, 8
language arts, science, social studies, and world languages at the level of the course 9
challenged. A school district shall give full credit for a course to a student who 10
successfully challenges that course as provided under this section. 11
* Sec. 2. AS 14.03.073(d) is amended to read: 12
(d) In this section, 13
(1) "guardian" has the meaning given in AS 13.06.050; 14
34-LS1021\G
HB 343 -2- HB0343a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(2) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350. 1
* Sec. 3. AS 14.03.073 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 2
(e) A school district shall provide a student an opportunity to challenge 3
courses under (a) of this section within three weeks after the date the student begins 4
attending school in the district if 5
(1) a parent or guardian of the student serves as an active duty member 6
of the armed forces of the United States or a member of the National Guard; 7
(2) the parent or guardian is transferred under an official military order 8
to a military installation in the state from outside of the state; and 9
(3) the transfer results in the student's enrollment in the school district. 10
(f) Not later than the end of the first business day after a student eligible to 11
challenge courses under (e) of this section enrolls in a school, the school district shall 12
inform the department of the student's enrollment and provide notice to the student's 13
parent or guardian of the student's opportunity to challenge courses under (e) of this 14
section. Not later than three business days after receiving notice from the school 15
district, the department shall provide notice to the student's parent or guardian of the 16
student's opportunity to challenge courses under (e) of this section. The notices 17
required under this subsection may be in physical or electronic form. 18
* Sec. 4. AS 14.03.080(e) is amended to read: 19
(e) A child under school age shall be admitted to school in the district of 20
which the child is a resident if, immediately before the child became a resident of the 21
district, the child was legally enrolled in 22
(1) the public schools of another district or state; or 23
(2) a Department of Defense Education Activity or other publicly 24
funded kindergarten program in a military installation. 25
* Sec. 5. AS 14.60.010 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 26
(11) "military installation" means a base, camp, post, station, yard, 27
center, homeport facility for a ship, armory, or other installation under the jurisdiction 28
of the United States Department of Defense or the United States Coast Guard. 29
* Sec. 6. AS 14.03.080(g)(2) is repealed. 30