The ANCHOR for Military Families Act mandates comprehensive and timely delivery of detailed relocation assistance information, especially regarding educational support, to service members and their families before a permanent change of station.
Emily Randall
Representative
WA-6
The ANCHOR for Military Families Act aims to significantly improve how the military informs service members and their families about available relocation assistance programs before a Permanent Change of Station (PCS). This bill mandates the delivery of comprehensive, accessible information packets covering housing, education (including school enrollment rules), and mental health support at least 45 days prior to a move. Furthermore, it requires the Department of Defense to report annually to Congress on the implementation and effectiveness of these new information delivery standards.
ANCHOR Act Mandates Detailed Education, Housing, and Mental Health Info 45 Days Before Military Family Moves
The ANCHOR for Military Families Act is stepping in to overhaul how the Department of Defense (DoD) handles permanent change of station (PCS) moves, which, let’s be honest, are often chaotic for service members and their families. This bill is essentially forcing the military to get its act together and provide a comprehensive, timely, and detailed roadmap for these moves.
The New 45-Day Rule: No More Last-Minute Scrambles
Under current rules, the information flow during a PCS can be sporadic. This bill changes that by mandating that service members and their families receive a full information packet on all available relocation help—not just some of it—no later than 45 days before their PCS date. Think of this as the military being required to send you the entire owner’s manual, not just a quick start guide, well before you pack the first box. This information has to be delivered via accessible materials and briefings, both in person and online (Sec. 2).
Schooling, Housing, and Sanity: What the Packet Must Cover
If you’ve ever moved across state lines with kids, you know the school transition is a major headache. The ANCHOR Act directly addresses this by requiring the relocation information to include specific details about education systems, how to enroll children, and, crucially, the rules related to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (Sec. 2). This means parents should get clear guidance on how their kids’ credits transfer and how special education services will continue, preventing that frustrating gap in coverage when moving from one state to another.
Beyond education, the required packet expands to cover the real-world stressors of moving. The bill explicitly demands guidance on housing help (on-base, off-base, and renter protections), mental health and well-being support services available during the transition, and information on family assistance programs like financial planning and job-seeking support for spouses (Sec. 2). For a dual-income family, knowing exactly what spouse employment resources are available before the move can make a huge difference in financial stability.
Holding the DoD Accountable
It’s one thing to mandate a change; it’s another to ensure it actually happens. This bill includes a significant accountability mechanism. The Secretary of Defense must develop a communication plan and, importantly, check in with service members and families after the move to gauge their satisfaction with the information they received (Sec. 2). Furthermore, the Secretary is required to brief Congress annually for the next three years on how the new information requirements are being implemented and how aware families are of the programs. This feedback loop and required reporting (Sec. 2) mean the DoD can’t just check a box; they have to prove the system is working and continuously improve it. While this creates an increased administrative burden for the DoD, the payoff is a less stressful, better-supported military family workforce.