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Committee concurs in bill giving Guard and Reserve students extra time to make up schoolwork (HB553)
Summary
House Bill 553, allowing members of the National Guard and reserves extra time to make up missed coursework because of training or deployments, was concurred in by the Senate Education committee; military leaders and student representatives supported the measure.
House Bill 553, carried by Representative (speaker 18), would amend the Montana Military Service at Higher Education Act to allow members of the National Guard and reserves additional time to make up graded coursework (assignments, midterms, finals) missed because of inactive-duty training or annual training.
Proponents included Brig. Gen. Renee Dorval (Deputy Director, Department of Military Affairs) who described the modern training tempo—longer drill periods and multi-day training events—and urged flexibility so service members are not academically penalized for meeting training obligations. First Sergeant (ret.) Dennis Stoner and student representatives from the Associated Students of the University of Montana described operational difficulties and the benefits of extra time to preserve both education and service commitments. Lt. Col. Todd Wayne offered informational testimony on legal considerations.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about applicability to public and private institutions; the sponsor confirmed the bill applies broadly. In executive action the committee recorded a roll-call concurrence (11 aye, 3 nay) and assigned a carrier to the bill.
If enacted, the law would provide an explicit baseline for colleges and universities to allow reasonable make‑up periods for Guard/reserve students called away for training, while leaving implementation details to institutions and accrediting rules.
