20 U.S.C. § 7908: Armed Forces recruiter…

Summary

Local school districts must give military recruiters and colleges the names, addresses, and phone numbers of high school students when asked, unless a parent has put the student on an opt-out list. A parent can send a written request to the school to stop releasing their child’s contact information, and once the school gets that written request it cannot share the information without the parent’s written consent. Schools must tell parents that they can make this opt-out request. When a student turns 18, the student, not the parent, controls this choice. Schools must let military recruiters meet or contact students the same way they let colleges or employers do. Schools may not use an opt-in or any other process to block access instead of the written opt-out. The Secretary of Education, with the Secretary of Defense, had to notify school leaders about these rules within 120 days after December 10, 2015. Private religious high schools that can prove they oppose military service in their official documents are exempt.

Title 20, §7908

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Policy

(1)Access to student recruiting information

Notwithstanding section 1232g(a)(5)(B) of this title, each local educational agency receiving assistance under this chapter shall provide, upon a request made by a military recruiter or an institution of higher education, access to the name, address, and telephone listing of each secondary school student served by the local educational agency, unless the parent of such student has submitted the prior consent request under paragraph (2).

(2)Consent

(A)Opt-out process

A parent of a secondary school student may submit a written request, to the local educational agency, that the student’s name, address, and telephone listing not be released for purposes of paragraph (1) without prior written consent of the parent. Upon receiving such request, the local educational agency may not release the student’s name, address, and telephone listing for such purposes without the prior written consent of the parent.

(B)Notification of opt-out process

Each local educational agency shall notify the parents of the students served by the agency of the option to make a request described in subparagraph (A).

(3)Same access to students

Each local educational agency receiving assistance under this chapter shall provide military recruiters the same access to secondary school students as is provided to institutions of higher education or to prospective employers of those students.

(4)Rule of construction prohibiting opt-in processes

Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to allow a local educational agency to withhold access to a student’s name, address, and telephone listing from a military recruiter or institution of higher education by implementing an opt-in process or any other process other than the written consent request process under paragraph (2)(A).

(5)Parental consent

For purposes of this subsection, whenever a student has attained 18 years of age, the permission or consent required of and the rights accorded to the parents of the student shall only be required of and accorded to the student.

(b)Notification

The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall, not later than 120 days after December 10, 2015, notify school leaders, school administrators, and other educators about the requirements of this section.

(c)Exception

The requirements of this section do not apply to a private secondary school that maintains a religious objection to service in the Armed Forces if the objection is verifiable through the corporate or other organizational documents or materials of that school.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7908, Pub. L. 89–10, title IX, § 9208, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3802, related to Native Hawaiian special education programs, prior to the general amendment of former subchapter IX of this chapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Pub. L. 114–95, § 8025, added subsecs. (a) to (c) and struck out former subsecs. (a) to (d) which related to policy regarding access to student recruiting information, notification of requirements of this section, exception for a private secondary school that maintains a religious objection to service in the Armed Forces, and special rule regarding Connecticut State law, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.

§7908 Armed Forces Recruiter Access to Students and Student Recruiting Information