Burgum signs bill benefitting children of military members

(The Center Square) – Gov. Doug Burgum signed two bills Thursday that address childcare and education challenges for North Dakota military families.

Senate Bill 2182 exempts childcare providers already licensed through the DOD from going through the state licensure process, which Burgum said was “redundant” and “unnecessary.”

“The majority of those who provide family childcare for military family members are themselves military spouses – 87% in just the year 2021,” the governor said. “They are operating as independent, small business owners while also contributing to their own family’s financial stability and they are providing care often for those other military members’ children that they know and also care about.”

Burgum also signed House Bill 1132, which allows military-connected children to begin their education virtually at a school in North Dakota before arriving in the state. It will also enable them to complete their semester virtually if their parent is reassigned before the end of the school year.

“We must be dedicated to making North Dakota as welcoming as possible for our military children and their families, and this bill helps to accomplish that,” said State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler.

There are an estimated 4,200 children of Guard and Reserve members and 4,200 children of active duty service members currently living in North Dakota, according to the governor’s office. North Dakota is home to the Grand Forks and Minot Air Forces bases.

The governor also declared April the “Month of the Military Child” during the signing ceremony.

“We know that when an individual swears an oath to serve our state and nation, the family, including the children, serve alongside them. We in uniform, could not do what we do without the support and sacrifices of our families,” said Maj. Gen. Al Dohrmann, the adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard. “Military youth can expect to face all the typical challenges of non-military children, but they will also face challenges somewhat unique to having a parent in the military – frequent moves both within the United States and around the world, parents deployed for long periods of time and the anxiety that goes with that, and making new friends every two to four years, to name a few. Today we recognize their service and celebrate their resilience and courage.”

Burgum also recently signed Senate Bill 2293, exempting military pay from state income tax. The move is estimated to reduce service members’ taxes by $4 million over the next three years.