FRANKFORT–Legislation that seeks to help high school students pursue military
careers moves to the Senate after an 81-1 vote today in the state House.
House Bill 362 sponsor Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, spoke of the benefits of the
bill in a Feb. 28 meeting of the House Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public
Protection Committee, which he chairs.
“It is a way that we could leverage additional opportunities for Kentucky students
to be exposed to career opportunities that they may not be aware of,” Moore said.
HB 362 would require schools throughout Kentucky to annually offer the Armed
Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test to students in grades ten through
twelve. The test would be paired with career counseling with individualized learning
plans for each student.
The bill would also offer students up to four excused absences from school to meet
with a recruiter of the Armed Forces of the United States or Kentucky National Guard
to encourage and accommodate students seeking a military career.
Although several schools already offer the ASVAB, it is currently not required,
according to Moore. HB 362 would change that for Kentucky high schools.
Moore assured his committee in February that the legislation would not put a
financial burden on Kentucky schools. Testing and counseling would be offered as a
free service to both the teachers and students, he said.
HB 362 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.