From the ECS State Policy Database Attendance

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary TX Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Excused Absence for Students Who Are Parents H.B. 455 Allows a student an excused absence from public school for taking the student's child to an appointment with a health care professional. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/pdf/HB00455F.pdf#navpanes=0... More... TX Signed into law 06/2013 P-12 Excused Student Absences and Parent Deployment S.B. 260 Requires a school district to excuse a student whose parent, stepparent, or legal guardian is an active duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces or Reserves, or National Guard and who has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or immediately returned from at l... More... FL Signed into law 04/2013 P-12 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children H.B. 7003 Repeals provisions relating to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children three years after the effective date of this act unless legislature reviews and reenacts. Requires that the annual dues assessment for the Interstate Compact... More... ID Signed into law 03/2013 P-12 Alternative Secondary School Funding Formulas H.B. 226 Amends current law for any alternative secondary school to have their full-term average daily attendance used to calculate support units for each cohort of students that meets the minimum instructional hours that are required. Support units so calculated shall... More... MT Signed into law 03/2013 P-12 Clarify In-district School Assignment Appeal Process S.B. 356 SB 356 clarifies that a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the care of a child has a right to appeal the trustee's school assignment decision. http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2013/billpdf/SB0356.pdf... More... KY Signed into law 03/2013 P-12 Enrollment of Nonresident Child of District Employee H.B. 182 Permits SEEK funding to be distributed to a school that enrolls a nonresident pupil who attends a district in which the pupil's parent is employed. Permits all tuition fees required of a nonresident pupil to be waived for such a pupil. http://www.lrc.ky.gov/re... More... NJ Signed into law 12/2012 P-12 Student Absences A.B. 1902 Requires parent or guardian to notify school administrators if pupil will be absent. Requires school to notify parent in event of unexcused pupil absence. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2012/Bills/PL12/74_.PDF... More... CA Signed into law 09/2012 P-12 Enrollment/Readmission of Student with Previous Contact with Juvenile Justice System S.B. 1088 Prohibits a public school from denying enrollment or readmission to a pupil solely on the basis that he/she has had contact with the juvenile justice system. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_1051-1100/sb_1088_bill_20120919_chaptered.pdf... More... CA Signed into law 07/2012 P-12 Residency Requirements for Foster Children A.B. 1573 Provides a pupil who is a foster child who remains in his/her school of origin has met the residency requirements for school attendance (pre-existing requirements provided a student who is a foster child meets residency requirements if the student attends a sc... More... OH Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Public Accountability Report Card at Student Enrollment S.B. 316 - Public Accountability Report Card at Student Enrollment Provides that when a student enrolls in a school operated by a school district, a school official with responsibility for admissions must provide the student's parent, during the admissions process, with a copy of the most recent public accountability report c... More... NH Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Residency for Children of Divorced Parents H.B. 1325 Revises the legal residency requirements for purposes of school attendance for children of divorced parents and children whose parents share decision making responsibility pursuant to a parenting plan. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2012/HB1325.ht... More... MA Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children S.B. 2254 Provides definitions of military terms and provides that this legislation applies to active duty members of the uniformed services, members or veterans of the uniformed services who are severely injured and medically discharged or retired for a period of 1 yea... More... LA Adopted 05/2012 P-12 Louisiana Seat Time Waiver LAC 28:CXV.907 and 1103 Amends §907, "Secondary Class Times and Carnegie Credit," and §1103, "Compulsory Attendance" to accommodate the newly developed Louisiana Seat Time Waiver (LSTW). §907 permits districts to submit applications to the department of education for a waiver of the ... More... VA Vetoed 05/2012 P-12 Public Schools; Residency of Children in Kinship Care S.B. 217 Allows a child receiving kinship care from a close relative to enroll in the school division where the kinship care provider resides. The bill also allows local school divisions to require one legal parent and the kinship care provider to sign affidavits detai... More... IL Adopted 05/2012 P-12 School Success Task Force Extended H.J.R. 67 Extends the School Success Task Force established during the 96th General Assembly and adds a member to the Task Force representing City of Chicago School District 299. Directs the School Success Task Force to submit a report before December 31, 2012. http://w... More... AZ Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Average Daily Membership S.B. 1456 Limits the window during which the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) can conduct Average Daily Membership (ADM) audits to three years from the time the monitoring or audit activity begins; Allows ADE to adjust funding for a school district or charter schoo... More... GA Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Attendance Records, Unexcused Absences H.B. 39 Requires that declarations of intent and attendance records for home study programs be submitted to the department of education rather than local school superintendents; authorizes department to provide for electronic submittal of such records. Provides that n... More... MN Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Residency Determination for Homeless Students H.F. 2949 Provides clarification on the district of residence for a homeless pupil, such that the pupil resides in the district where the parent or guardian resides unless parental rights have been terminated, the parent lives out of state or is an inmate at a correctio... More... GA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children S.B. 227 Adopts the "Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children." Provides for the purpose and policy of the compact. Provides for student educational records and enrollment, placement and attendance, eligibility, graduation, and state coordina... More... GA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Age for Kindergarten or First Grade Entry for Children Moving from Abroad H.B. 706 - Age for Kindergarten or First Grade Entry for Children Moving from Abroad Clarifies that provisions for child's entry into kindergarten and 1st grade for a child who was a legal resident of one or more states two years immediately prior to moving to Georgia also apply to children residing in one or more countries two years immediate... More... NE Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Compulsory Attendance L.B. 996 Changes provisions relating to compulsory attendance. Retains upper age of 16 but lays out an explicit process and requirements for early withdrawal by a parent. http://nebraskalegislature.gov/FloorDocs/Current/PDF/Slip/LB996.pdf... More... WY Signed into law 03/2012 P-12 Interstate Compact on Students of Military Families S.F. 78 Provides for an interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children. Facilitates enrollment and placement of children of military families. http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2012/Enroll/SF0078.pdf... More... CA Signed into law 10/2011 P-12 Excused Absence and Military Deployment A.B. 387 From bill summary: Includes spending time with an immediate family member who is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or has immediately returned from, deployment to a combat zone or combat support ... More... CA Signed into law 10/2011 P-12 Documents to Demonstrate Residency A.B. 207 From bill summary: Requires a school district to accept a wide range of documents and representations from the parent or legal guardian of a pupil living with his or her parent or legal guardian as reasonable evidence that the pupil meets specified residency r... More... IL Signed into law 08/2011 P-12 Children of Active Duty Parents H.B. 2870 Provides that at the time of annual enrollment or at any time during the school year, a school district or a recognized non-public school serving any of grades K-12 must provide, either on its standard enrollment form or on a separate form, the opportunity for... More... IL Signed into law 08/2011 P-12 Stalking No Contact Orders H.B. 192 Directs the court, when issuing a stalking no contact order, to weigh specified considerations when the petitioner and the respondent attend the same public or private K-12 school, including any continuing physical danger or emotional distress to the petitione... More... CA Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Conditional School Attendance in Absence of Pertussis Boosters S.B. 614 Until June 30, 2012, allows a county office of education, district governing board or charter school governing body to allow a student in grades 7-12 to conditionally attend school for up to 30 days if that pupil has not been fully immunized with all pertussis... More... CA Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 County and Local School Attendance Review Boards A.B. 614 From bill summary: Specifically requires a representative of school, county or community mental health personnel to be appointed to a county school attendance review board. Authorizes a representative of school, county or community mental health personnel to b... More... CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Excused and Unexcused Absences H.B. 6499 - Sec. 16, 18 Sec. 16 - Requires boards of education to provide written notice to parents that unexcused absences could result in a complaint filed with the Superior Court. Sec. 18 - Requires the State Board of Education to define ''excused absence" and ''unexcused absence... More... CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Establishes Truancy Clinic Pilot in Children's Probate Court S.B. 982 Allows the Probate Court Administrator to, within available appropriations, establish a pilot truancy clinic within the regional children's probate court for the district of Waterbury. Provides that the principal of any elementary or middle school in the Water... More... IN Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Compulsory Attendance S.B. 1--Attendance Defines "attend" for purposes of the compulsory school attendance law. Requires school corporations to have a policy outlining both excused and unexcused absences. Bill indicates that attendance is excused only if it is in accordance with the governing body's ... More... PA Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Multiple Provisions - Enrollment H.B. 1352 Section 1304 clarifies that districts must admit students during at least the first two weeks of school. http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=PDF&sessYr=2011&sessInd=0&billBody=H&billTyp=B&billNbr=1352&pn=2227... More... OR Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Attendance H.B. 3197 Relating to school attendance. Requires school districts to adopt attendance notification policies and specifies the required elements. Provides options for partents to determine method of notification. Effective July 1, 2011. http://www.leg.state.or.us/11reg/... More... NH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Student Residency Dispute Resolution S.B. 37 Provides further detail on the procedure for resolving residency disputes. Excludes homeless children from the list of pupils whose residency can be determined by the commissioner of the department of education. Lengthens the time for determination of residenc... More... HI Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children H.B. 4 Makes permanent the interstate compact on educational opportunity for military children. Deletes the definition of ''test period". Deletes provisions relating to the furnishing of unofficial education records and the principal's determination of available spac... More... TX Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Adjudication of Cases Regarding Failure to Attend School and Parent Contributing to Nonattendance H.B. 734 From fiscal note: Generally, the criminal offenses of failure to attend school and parent contributing to nonattendance are adjudicated in justice and municipal courts. However, under current law, in counties with populations of 2 million or more (Harris and D... More... IL Adopted 05/2011 P-12 School Success Task Force H.J.R. 7 Extends the School Success Task Force established during the 96th General Assembly. Directs the task force to submit a report by December 31, 2011. http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/97/HJR/PDF/09700HJ0007lv.pdf... More... TN Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Responsibility for Truancy S.B. 413 States that a parent, guardian or other person who has control of a truant student commits educational neglect. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30. http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB0413.pdf... More... TN Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Attendance Laws Apply to Remedial Instruction S.B. 414 States that attendance laws shall apply to remedial instruction for students who are determined to require such instruction, including summer school and after school programs. http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB0414.pdf... More... GA Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Foster Care Student Attending Court Proceedings H.B. 314 Provides that a foster care student who attends court proceedings relating to the student's foster care must not be counted as an absence, excused or unexcused, for the day or any portion of the day missed from school. http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/20112... More... VT Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Amends Compulsory School Ages S.B. 100 - Compulsory School Age Provision Among other provisions, changes the compulsory school age from 7-16 to 6-16. http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/2012/Acts/ACT058.pdf... More... WV Signed into law 05/2011 P-12 Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children H.B. 2550 Enables West Virginia to participate as a member of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Establishes the West Virginia Council for Educational Opportunity for Military Children for the purpose of coordinating entities in Wes... More... AZ Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Kindergarten S.B. 1256--Kindergarten Finance Arizona Revised Statute 15-821 is clarified. If a child who has not reached the age of five before September 1 of the current school year is admitted to kindergarten but withdraws and re-enroll the following year allows state age to be apportioned between the ... More... ND Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Clarifies and Defines Attendance S.B. 2226 Creates a new section that defines attendance (absence) (15.1 - 20 - 02.1). 1. To be deemed in attendance for purposes of this chapter, a student may not be absent from school without excuse for more than: a. Three consecutive school days during either the f... More... AR Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Special Arrangements for Truant Student H.B. 1995 Authorizes parents to petition for special arrangments to address student absences prior to a student accumulating the maximum number of absences allowed under a district's attendance policy. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2011/2011R/Bills/HB1995.pdf... More... VA Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Postsec. Community College Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children H.B. 1976 Adds a fifth citizen member to the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and specifies that such member must be a representative from a military installation in Virginia. Such representative is to be appoin... More... SD Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Excusal H.B. 1133 Amends statute to state that once a parent or guardian of a child files an application with a school official for excusal, the child shall be excused, without the necessity of school board action, subject to revocation as provided in this chapter. School board... More... CA Signed into law 10/2010 P-12 Truants A.B. 1610 - Truants Requires initial parental notification of child's status as truant to be made using the most cost-effective method possible, including e-mail or telephone. (Previous legislation required this notification to be made by first-class mail.) Defines "conscientiou... More... CA Signed into law 09/2010 P-12 Reporting Pupil Attendance Data S.B. 1357 From bill summary: Requires the department of education, contingent on federal funding for this purpose and in consultation with the department of finance and the legislative analyst's office, to prepare the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data Syste... More... CA Signed into law 09/2010 P-12 Chronic Truant S.B. 1317 From bill summary: Defines a chronic truant as any pupil absent from school without a valid excuse for 10% or more of the school days in one school year, from the date of enrollment to the current date, provided that the appropriate school district officer or ... More... CA Vetoed 09/2010 P-12 Determining Pupil Residency for Attendance in a District A.B. 1854 From bill analysis: Requires school districts to accept reasonable evidence that a pupil meets residency requirements for school attendance within the district. Specifies certain types of documents that must be considered reasonable evidence. Authorizes a scho... More... GA Adopted 08/2010 P-12 Student Enrollment and Withdrawal GA ADC 160-5-1-.28 Amends provisions related to student enrollment and withdrawal. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/_documents/doe/legalservices/160-5-1-.28.pdf... More... NC Signed into law 07/2010 P-12 Enrollment of Child under 5 Who Is Child of Military Personnel S.B. 1246 - Enrollment of Child under 5 Who Is Child of Military Personnel Permits public school entry of child who does not turn 5 by August 31 of the school year but whose parent is an active duty member of U.S. armed forces who is the sole legal custodian of the child, and is stationed in another state, and is deployed for duty aw... More... NC Signed into law 07/2010 P-12 Postsec. Community College Excused Absences For Religious Observances H.B. 357 Requires principals, community colleges and universities to authorize a minimum of two excused absences each academic year for religious observances required by the faith of a student or the student's parents; provides that the student's parents may be require... More... LA Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Community College Adult Education Programs H.B. 1055 Students who are 16 to 18 years old and are enrolled in an adult education program shall be considered to be in compliance with the school attendance provisions. Defines "effective" adult education program. Eliminate the division of adult and community educati... More... LA Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Student Attendance Policies H.B. 421 Prevents a city, parish, or other local public school board from denying admission or readmission to students of suitable age who resides within the geographic boundaries of the school system unless such student is legally excluded from attending school. http:... More... GA Vetoed 06/2010 P-12 Compulsory School Attendance S.B. 239 - Section 2 Requires a parent whose child is of compulsory school age and who becomes a new resident of a local school system to enroll his/her child in a public or private school within 15 days of such new residency (or by the start date of school if such new residency o... More... TN Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Truancy - Parental Consequences S.B. 3246 Authorizes a prosecutor to allow parents or guardians of children violating truancy laws to attend parent education training and parent-teacher conferences as an alternative to criminal prosecution. - Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 30 http://www.capitol.... More... WI Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Habitual Truants Need Not Be Readmitted Through Open Enrollment S.B. 342 If a pupil attending the school district under open enrollment (OEP) is habitually truant (absent from school without an acceptable excuse for part or all of five or more school days during any semester) during either semester in the current school year, the s... More... NH Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Truancy H.B. 154 Makes various changes to the laws on truancy; provides for excused absences, parental responsibility and petitions for children in need of services. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2010/HB0154.html... More... KY Signed into law 04/2010 P-12 Interscholastic Athletics H.B. 327 Requires the state board of education or any agency designated by the state board to manage interscholastic athletics to promulgate administrative regulations that permit the hiring of a nonteaching or noncertified person in a coaching position. Requires that ... More... VA Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Parental Notification of Nonattendance S.B. 196 Clarifies that, in addition to the attendance officer, school personnel, and volunteers, the school principal or his designee is responsible for notifying parents concerning students' nonattendance at school; provides that the school principal or his designee ... More... VA Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Religious Holidays S.B. 361 Requires local school boards to develop policies ensuring that any student's absence because of the observance of a religious holiday be recorded as excused on the student's attendance record and that a student not be deprived of any award or of eligibility or... More... NE Signed into law 03/2010 P-12 Kindergarten Entrance L.B. 1006 Children are eligible for kindergarten if they are 5 years old by July 31, beginning with the 2012-13 school year. Previously, the cutoff date was Oct. 15. The bill includes an exception for children who turn 5 between Aug. 1 and Oct. 15 if they perform adequa... More... IL Signed into law 01/2010 P-12 Professional Development for Department of Human Services Staff; 1st Grade Start Age for Certain Students H.B. 806 Requires the department of human services to operate a comprehensive professional development system called the Gateways to Opportunity program. Directs the department of human services to award Gateways to Opportunity credentials to early care and education, ... More... KY Adopted 01/2010 P-12 Recording Student Attendance 702 KAR 7:125 Adds section providing definitions of: "full day of attendance" (student in attendance at least 65% of regularly-scheduled school day), "tardy" (student absent less than 35% of the regularly-scheduled school day), "half-day absence" (student absent 35-84% of r... More... NV Rule Adoption 10/2009 P-12 CREDIT GRANTED NAC 389.670 Revises provisions governing credit granted for a specific course of study without having attended regularly scheduled classes. www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/CHAPTERS.HTMl... More... NV Rule Adoption 10/2009 P-12 ENROLLMENT AND ATTENDANCE NAC 387.048, .215 Revises provisions governing the reasons listed in the master register of enrollment and attendance for withdrawal of a pupil. www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/CHAPTERS.HTMl... More... CA Vetoed 10/2009 P-12 Excused Absence to Participate in Civic Engagement Activities A.B. 796 Amends existing law that authorizes a pupil to be excused from school for specified reasons. Includes civic engagement activities offered by a nonprofit organization or a governmental entity among the types of absences that are excused. Provides a pupil may no... More... WI Signed into law 10/2009 P-12 A.B. 119 Beginning on September 1, 2011, a school board may not enroll a child in the first grade in a school in the school district, including in a charter school located in the school district, unless the child has completed 5-year-old kindergarten. Requires each sch... More... ND Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Student Absences S.B. 2217 Requires teachers to notify administrators when a student is absent without an excuse. Requires administrators to investigate the absence. Provides for penalities. Unless the responsible party (parent, guardian) has made substantial and reasonable attempts to ... More... ND Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Entrance Ages, Upper Statutory Age H.B. 1378 Modifies 15.1-06-01. Changes the cut-off date for enrollment in grade one from September first to August first. For kindergarten, the cut-off date changes from five by September first of the year of enrollment to August first. Provides exception for children w... More... OH Signed into law 07/2009 P-12 Excused Absences for Extracurricular Activities H.B. 1 - Section 3321.041 Defines "extracurricular activity". Requires districts to provide students with up to four days of excused absence per school year for a student absence for the sole purpose of traveling out of state to participate in an enrichment activity approved by the loc... More... LA Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Truancy and Tardiness Policies H.B. 731 Spells out policies for habitual absence and tardiness of students, including penalties for violations by parents and legal guardians or custodians of such students. Addresses the crime of improper supervision of a minor as it relates to habitually absent or t... More... LA Adopted 06/2009 P-12 Attendance for Military Family Students LAC 28:CXV.1103 Allows excused absences for students for visitation with a parent who is a member of the Armed Forces or the National Guard of a state and such parent has been called to active duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment to a combat zone or combat support... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Excused Absence to Visit Colleges H.B. 2542 Allows districts to grant excused absences for juniors and seniors visiting institutions of higher education. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/pdf/HB02542F.pdf... More... TX Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 Student Election Clerks S.B. 1134 Allows certain high school students to serve as election clerks. Provides an excused absence for such service. Adds new section 33.092 allowing a student election clerk to apply such time served toward a school service requirement or school project requirement... More... AL Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Interstate Military Compact H.B. 438 Adds Alabama to the Interstate Commission on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, an interstate compact to address the education transition issues of children of active duty military families. Allows for the uniform treatment at the state and local d... More... GA Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Military Students S.B. 114 Provides for the transfer of students who are military dependents into a local school system. Provides that students must be placed in grade level commensurate with their grade level in the sending state at the time of transition, including in kindergarten, re... More... AR Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Enrollment of a Teacher's Child in Nonresident District S.B. 847 Allows a student whose parent or guardian is employed by a school district or educational service cooperative to continue attendance at a nonresident school district in some circumstances. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Acts/Act1368.pdf... More... MS Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Superintendent Approval of Absences for Medical and Dental Appointments H.B. 525 Deletes the requirement that the school superintendent must approve student absences for medical and dental appointments. Authorizes a designee of the superintendent to report unlawful absences to the school attendance officer. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us... More... MD Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Suspension/Expulsion -- not for Attendance Offenses only H.B. 660; S.B. 241 Prohibits a principal from suspending or expelling a student from school solely for attendance-related offenses. http://mlis.state.md.us/2009rs/bills/hb/hb0660t.pdf... More... NM Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Compulsory Attendance and Unexcused Absenses S.B. 189 Changes terms and notice provisions of compulsory attendance policies; clarifies how unexcused absences are determined; requires reports. http://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/09%20Regular/final/SB0189.pdf... More... UT Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Education Policies for Military Children H.B. 194 Adds 53A-11-1401 through -1404, collectively known as Education Policies for Military Children. Provides definitions. Allows for certain exceptions when military children transfer schools, including the use of official and unofficial education records, time pe... More... KY Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Missed Days Due to Weather H.B. 322 Allows a local board of education in a county identified as a federal disaster area because of Tropical Storm Ike and the severe weather storm of January and February of 2009 to request from the commissioner of education up to ten disaster days missed and requ... More... KY Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Children of Civilian Military Employees S.B. 39 Relates to students of civilian military employees; provides students of civilian military employees the same rights as students of military families under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children if the parents are required to m... More... KY Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Excused School Absence H.B. 124 Requires a school principal to give up to 10 days excused school absence for children of Armed Forces servicemembers if the parent is stationed out of the country and is granted leave. http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/09RS/HB124/bill.doc... More... AR Signed into law 03/2009 P-12 Educational Sucess for Military Children H.B. 1400 Removes barriers to educational success for military children. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/HB1400.pdf... More... VA Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Suspension of Driver's License Due to Truancy H.B. 1826 Provides for the suspension of the driver's license or learner's permit of any minor who has 10 or more unexcused absences from public school on consecutive school days. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+HB1826ER... More... VA Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 Sufficient Cause for Suspension H.B. 1794 Provides that the sufficient cause necessary to suspend a student cannot rest solely on instances of tardiness or truancy. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+HB1794ER... More... AR Signed into law 02/2009 P-12 School Attendance Laws S.B. 295 Ensures consistent public school attendance laws. http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2009/R/Bills/SB295.pdf... More... CO Adopted 01/2009 P-12 Attendance and Truancy Data 1 CCR 301-78 Provides specificity for consistency in reporting attendance and truancy data across school districts and BOCES. Allows the usage these indicators to leverage resources to support the complete success of children and youth in school. http://www.sos.state.co.... More... IL Signed into law 12/2008 P-12 Truancy S.B. 2743 Amends the Illinois Municipal Code. Provides that if a code violation involves a municipal ordinance regulating truants, the hearing date must be 7 to 40 days after the violation is reported. Increases minimum child age for which certain truancy provisions app... More... WY Adopted 10/2008 P-12 School Foundation Program Chapter 8 These emergency rules amend the existing rules related to the school foundation program.  The emergency rules provide additional definitions for terms used throughout the rules.  The emergency rules add a new section 8 which provides a process for a school dis... More... CA Vetoed 09/2008 P-12 Attendance S.B. 1735 Requires a school district to accept any documents and representations from the parent or guardian of a pupil that reasonably provide evidence that the pupil meets the residency requirements. Provides examples of the types of documents or representations that ... More... LA Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 Habitual Truancy and Habitual Tardiness H.B. 1133 Revises provisions related to habitual truancy and habitual tardiness. Requires a student's parent to enforce the student's attendance at the school to which the student is assigned. Requires a school principal or designee to provide a parent with written noti... More... NH Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Committee to Study Truancy Laws H.B. 1161 Establishes a committee to study the truancy laws; provides for membership and compensation, duties, chairperson and quorum, and report of findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President o... More... DE Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Compact on Education for Children of Military Families H.B. 297 Provides an interstate compact to ensure standards for educational records for children of military families. http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis144.nsf/vwLegislation/HB+297/$file/legis.html?open... More... LA Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Absences for Children of Active-Duty Parents H.B. 200 Provides that a child whose parent is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or the National Guard and such parent has been called to duty for or is on leave from overseas deployment shall be granted up to five excused absences from school per school year for the c... More... AZ Signed into law 06/2008 P-12 Attendance H.B. 2368 Relates to notification of the parents of a student who is enrolled in an elementary school of an unexcused absence; relates to notifying parents of such students of their responsibility to any absence of the pupil and to notify the school in advance or at the... More... MI Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 Student Absences when Parents Are Deployed S.B. 747 Establishes that a student's absence because a parent, legal guardian or sibling is being deployed or returning from active duty is an excused absence. http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2007-2008/publicact/pdf/2008-PA-0141.pdf... More... VT Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Absences for Attending Town Meetings S.B. 45 Prohibits employers and schools from penalizing employees and students who are absent in order to attend town meeting; provides an employee shall have the right to take unpaid leave from employment for the purpose of attending a town meeting provided the emplo... More... KY Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Status Offenders H.B. 384 Defines "nonoffender" as a child alleged to be dependent, neglected, or abused and who has not been otherwise charged with a status or public offense. Specifies that "status offenses" by a minor include beyond the control of the school or parents, habitual tru... More... MD Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Response to High Truancy Rates H.B. 285; S.B.96 Requires a county board of education to require elementary schools with certain truancy rates to implement a positive behavioral interventions and support program or certain behavior modification programs in collaboration with the State Department of Education... More... CO Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Student Truancy and Attendance Reporting H.B. 1336 Requires the State Board of Education to adopt guidelines for the standardized calculation of unexcused absences of students; requires a school district to report annually to the department concerning the number of students who are habitually truant; requires ... More... MS Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Reporting of Absences Due to Detainment H.B. 348 Relates to youth detained in juvenile detention centers; requires Youth Detention Staff to notify School Districts if a detained child misses one or more days from school due to such child's detainment. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2008/pdf/HB/03... More... IN Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Attendance Enforcement H.B. 1234 Allows certain law enforcement officers to inspect student attendance records and to enforce the attendance laws and requires an affidavit against a parent to enforce the compulsory school attendance law be filed in a court with jurisdiction in the county in w... More... LA Adopted 11/2007 P-12 Compulsory Attendance, Exit Exams LAC 28:CXV.1103, 2323, and 2324 Makes changes to Bulletin 741 - Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators: 1103: Allows students in danger of failing due to excessive absences to make up missed time in class sessions held outside the regular class time. The make-up sessions must be compl... More... TX Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Excused Absence for Court Appearance H.B. 2455 House Bill 2455 amends the Education Code to require a school district to grant an excused absence for a student ordered to make a court appearance. http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/HB02455F.pdf... More... NH Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Clarifies Exemptions to Compulsory School Attendance H.B. 87 Inserts clarifications to the exceptions to the compulsory school attendance statute. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2007/HB0087.html... More... NH Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Twins or Multiples Class Assignment S.B. 78 Allows a parent or guardian of twins or other multiples to request a classroom placement for the children. Provides that a parent or guardian of twins or other multiples in elementary school may request that the twins or multiples be placed in the same classro... More... NH Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Raises Compulsory School Age S.B. 18 Raises from 16 to 18 the age for compulsory school attendance and provides a procedure for a pupil who is at least 16 years of age to obtain an attendance waiver from school. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2007/SB0018.html... More... OR Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Defines "Person in Parental Relationship" S.B. 215 Defines "Person in parental relationship" as an adult who has physical custody of a child or resides in the same household as the child, interacts with the child daily, provides the child with food, clothing, shelter and incidental necessaries and provides the... More... NC Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 School Admission Requirements H.B. 150 Modifies school admission requirements. Moves cut-off date for enrollment to August 31 from October 16. http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/House/HTML/H150v0.html... More... TN Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Pilot: of Mandated Attendance for Suspended Students H.B. 2138 Adds a new section: A pilot project of mandated attendance in an alternative school for students who have been suspended shall be established by the department for the school year 2007-2008 in any county having a metropolitan form of government and a populatio... More... ME Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Student Truancy Policy H.B. 353 Strengthens the truancy laws by making it a Class E crime for parents who fail to take corrective measures for truant children from kindergarten to grade 6. http://janus.state.me.us/legis/LawMakerWeb/externalsiteframe.asp?ID=280022908&LD=454&Type=1&SessionID=7... More... NV Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Postsec. Dropout Reporting, Exit Exam Alternatives, Competency Based Credits S.B. 312 Expands the annual reports of accountability information to include the rate of pupils who drop out of school in grades 6, 7 and 8. Requires the State Board to prescribe alternative criteria that a pupil may satisfy to receive a standard high school diploma if... More... TX Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Truancy Reporting S.B. 1161 Increases the time frame required for a school district to report to certain authorities, from seven to 10 days, if a student has not attended school on 10 or more days without an excuse. http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/SB01161F.pdf... More... NV Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Pupil Truancy A.B. 485 Require a report of pupils who drop out of school in grade 8 to be included in the reports of accountability prepared by the State Board of Education and the boards of trustees of school districts. Requires the board of trustees of a school district located in... More... TX Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Permitting Attendance of Students to Age 26 H.B. 1137 Permits students who are at least 21 years of age and under 26 years of age on the first day of September of any school year to be eligible for funding under the Foundation School Program for the purposes of completing the requirements for a high school diplom... More... ME Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Coordinator S.B. 155; L Concerns compulsory school attendance. This bill adds to the duties of the attendance coordinator serving as the liaison between the school and the local law enforcement agency in matters pertaining to student absenteeism. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis... More... DE Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Enhanced Truancy Court Activities S.B. 26 Provides for enhanced Truancy Court activities in the Justice of the Peace Court. Eliminates the need to transfer a case of contempt by a juvenile to the Family Court for adjudication when that contempt has arisen in relation to a refusal to obey an order of t... More... TX Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Requiring Attendance of Those Voluntarily Attending School H.B. 566 H.B. 566 authorizes school districts to require persons who voluntarily enroll in school or voluntarily attend school after their 18th birthday to attend school until the end of the school year (to help districts reduce the number of dropouts). The bill also ... More... MT To governor 04/2007 P-12 Services for Developmentally Disabled H.B. 195 Relates to services for individuals who are developmentally distabled, clarifies that such individuals may return to high school after graduation if they are not 19 years of age. http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0195.htm... More... WA Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Alternative Pathways to a Diploma H.B. 1051 Finds that the state's commitment to providing a basic education for all public school students under the age of twenty-one should continue until a student earns a diploma. Therefore the legislature intends to expand high school completion programs at communit... More... NM Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Postsec. High School Redesign H.B. 584/S.B. 561 Provides for high school redesign. Directs the department of education to establish a readiness assessment system to measure the readiness of every New Mexico high school student for success in higher education or a career no later than the 2008-2009 school ye... More... CO Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Minimum Compulsory Attendance Age S.B. 16 Changes the minimum age for compulsory education from seven to six years, on or before August 1 of each year. Compulsory attendance ages therefore would be six through seventeen years. http://www.leg.state.co.us/Clics/Clics2007A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/9396E573D25... More... SD Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Raises Compulsory Attendance Age to 18 S.B. 199 Increases the compulsory attendance age for school attendance from 16 to 18, unless the child has graduated or is excused per certain provisions. http://www.legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2007/bills/SB199enr.pdf... More... SD Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 Kindergarten Attendance S.B. 33 Amends 13-28-2 to read: Any child who is five years old on the first day of September is eligible for enrollment in kindergarten during that school year. Any child who is six years old by September first is eligible for enrollment in first grade during that sc... More... UT Adopted 11/2006 P-12 Per Pupil Funding & Attendance/Completion Recordkeeping R277-419 Allows exceptions to the minimum number of instructional hours and schools days per year for individual students and schools; requires Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to ensure that accurate records of daily st... More... CA Signed into law 08/2006 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Policies A.B. 2181 Amends existing law that specifically authorizes a court to order a person who is convicted for failing to comply with compulsory attendance laws to immediately enroll the child in the appropriate school or educational program and provide proof of enrollment t... More... GA Adopted 07/2006 P-12 Remediation, Charter Schools, Class Size, Student Attendance GAC 160-4-5-.01; -4-9-.04; -5-1-.08, -.10 Clarifies rules regarding the following: Remedial education for students in grades 6-12: http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/docs/160/4/5/01.pdf Charter schools: http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/docs/160/4/9/04.pdf Class size: http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/docs/160/5/1... More... MD Vetoed 05/2006 P-12 Compulsory Attendance in Baltimore S.B. 741 Increases the age range for compulsory public school attendance in Baltimore City to between the ages of 5 years old and 18 years old; requires persons with legal custody or care and control of children who reside in Baltimore City and who are between the ages... More... MD Signed into law 05/2006 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Task Force H.B. 36; SB 741 Establishes a Task Force to Study Raising the Compulsory Public School Attendance Age to 18; requires the Task Force to evaluate and make recommendations regarding certain issues by a certain date and to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly... More... TN Signed into law 05/2006 P-12 Compulsory Attendance for Blind Students S.B. 3917 Concerns Education; revises the age of children to whom the compulsory school attendance requirements for blind children apply from between seven and 16 years of age to between six and 17 years of age. http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/SB... More... CO Signed into law 05/2006 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Age and Hour Requirements S.B. 73 Concerns the age specifications relating to compulsory school attendance. Every child who has attained the age of seven years and is under the age of seventeen years (changed from 16), except as provided by this section, must attend public school for at least ... More... FL Signed into law 05/2006 P-12 Requirements for Students Leaving School at Age 16 H.B. 7087 (Section 18) If a student decides to leave school at age 16, several procedures must be followed. This bill adds the following requirements: The student's guidance counselor or other school personnel must conduct an exit interview with the student to determine the reason... More... GA Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Excused Absences H.B. 984 Provides that a student whose parent or legal guardian is in military service is granted up to 5 excused absences per school year to visit with his or her parent or legal guardian prior to deployment or while on leave. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_0... More... TN Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Excused Absences for Children of Military Families S.B. 3379 Excuses children from school on days of deployment and return from deployment for military service of a parent or guardian. Provides that if a student's parent, custodian, or other person with legal custody or control of a student is a member of the United Sta... More... LA Adopted 04/2006 P-12 Hospital/Homebound Instruction LAC 28:CXV.1103 Establishes procedures for hospital/homebound instruction for a student who is enrolled in regular or special education and who, as a result of health care treatment, physical illness, accident, or the treatment thereof, is temporarily unable to attend school.... More... WV Rule Adoption 04/2006 P-12 Attendance Title 126, Series 81 Amends rules regarding half-day attendance and specific ages for compulsory school attendance. Identifies the specific number of days in which a parent, guardian or custodian of children with excessive unexcused absences must attend a school-based conference, ... More... IN Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Students Attending Nonclassroom Activities H.B. 1347 Section 14 Allows a district to authorize the absence and excuse of a student who attends any educationally related nonclassroom activity. Requires any educationally related nonclassroom activity and nonclassroom activity to meet all the following conditions:         (1)... More... WV Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Penalties for Compulsory Attendance Violations S.B. 631 Clarifies the summons or warrant and complaint process when a parent, custodian or guardian fails to comply with compulsory attendance laws and a magistrate finds probable cause to believe that a parent, custodian or guardian has committed the offense. Allows ... More... KY Signed into law 03/2006 P-12 Advancing Kindergarten-Age Students to First Grade S.B. 35 Clarifies that a school district may advance a child through the primary program if he or she is at least five but less than six years old; allows the child to be classified as other than a kindergarten student for purposes of funding if the student is determi... More... VA Signed into law 02/2006 P-12 Penalty for False Statement of Residency H.B. 1222 Provides that any person who knowingly makes a false statement concerning the residency of a child for the purpose of avoiding tuition charges shall be liable to the school division in which the child was enrolled as a result of such false statements for tuiti... More... NV Adopted 01/2006 P-12 Maximum Age for a High Schooler NAC 387.345 Establishes rules regarding maximum age for a high school pupil in Nevada -- to allow for basic support apportionment for pupils who are over the normal age of a high school senior where an 18, 19 or 20 year old may need an extra year to complete required cred... More... MD Adopted 01/2006 P-12 Attending school outside of county COMAR 13A.08.05.01 thru .07 Requires a county superintendent to allow a child who is a Maryland resident to attend a public school free of charge in a county other than the county where a child is domiciled with the child's parent or legal guardian, provided certain criteria are met.... More... LA Emergency Rule Adoption 10/2005 P-12 Truancy Assessment and Service Centers LAC 67:III.5539 Re-establishes Truancy Assessment and Service Centers to identify, assess and intervene to ensure K-6 students attend school regularly. While established under TANF provisions, rules specify that eligibility for services is not limited to needy families. http:... More... IL Signed into law 08/2005 P-12 The Parental Participation Pilot Project S.B. 10 Provides that by the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, the State Board of Education shall by rule establish a parental participation pilot project to provide grants to the lowest performing school districts to help these districts improve parental partic... More... IL Signed into law 07/2005 P-12 Change of Residence Due to Parent's Military Service Obligation H.B. 156 Provides that if a pupil's change of residence is due to the military service obligation of a person who has legal custody of the pupil, then, upon the written request of the person having legal custody of the pupil, the residence of the pupil is deemed for pu... More... DE Signed into law 07/2005 P-12 Parent Responsibility for Truant Children H.B. 109 Amends 2728 and 2729 of Title 14 to clarify that when both parents are listed on a student's school records and both parents are Delaware residents, they each are responsible for their child's school attendance. Reflects the view of the Truancy Task Force that... More... CA Vetoed 06/2005 P-12 Attendance Review Board Recommendations A.B. 656 Under existing law, a county school attendance review board may be established in each county to propose and promote the use of alternatives to the juvenile court system for pupils with school attendance problems or school behavioral problems. Existing law aut... More... TX Signed into law 05/2005 Postsec. Excusal for Military Service H.B. 1630 From bill analysis: Requires an institution of higher education to excuse a student from attending classes or engaging in other required activities, including examinations, in order for the student to participate in active military service to which the student... More... NV (H) APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR. CHAPTER 47. 05/2005 P-12 Authorizes boards of trustees of school districts to accommodate medical absences in policy for attendance of pupils at school H.B. 76 AN ACT relating to education; authorizing the board of trustees of a school district to accommodate certain pupils who are physically or mentally unable to attend school in the policy for attendance of pupils at school.... More... GA Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Laws H.B. 26 Repeals the authority for the Governor to suspend all or any part of compulsory attendance requirements because of a riot, insurrection, public disorder, disturbance of the peace, natural calamity, or disaster. http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/versio... More... AR Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 General Assembly Pages H.B. 2461 Provides an excused absence from school for the one day a student is serving as a page for the general assembly. States that the student may be allowed additional instructional assignment days at the discretion of the school district. http://www.arkleg.state.a... More... NM Signed into law 04/2005 P-12 School District Attendance Policies H.B. 955 Relates to compulsory school attendance; requires that school district attendance policies use withdrawal of students pursuant to the definition of membership in the Public School Finance Act only after exhausting efforts to keep students in educational settin... More... VA Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Educational Protections for Foster Care Children S.B. 1006 Clarifies that the public schools in a school divisions shall be free to children in foster care living in that school division in the same manner as provided to homeless children and youth pursuant to the McKinney-Vento Act and state law. http://leg1.state.va... More... VA Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 False Statements on Child Residency H.B. 2382 Creates a Class 4 misdemeanor charge for making a false statement concerning the residency of a child in a particular school division or school attendance zone. http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?051+ful+CHAP0178... More... KY Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Habitual Truancy H.B. 72 Establishes that any student enrolled in a public school who is over 18 but not 21 years of age and who has been absent from school without valid excuse for three or more days, or tardy without valid excuse on three or more days, is a truant. Reduces from thre... More... ND To governor 03/2005 P-12 School Attendance H.B. 1194 Relates to contract terms for the cross-border attendance of elementary and high school students. http://www.state.nd.us/lr/assembly/59-2005/bill-text/FAKJ0200.pdf... More... ID Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Habitual Truant S.B. 1066 Revises the definition of a "habitual truant." Revises the provisions applicable to proceedings against parents and guardians whose children are habitual truants. Allows proceedings to be brought against any parent of a habitual truant who is found to have kno... More... KY Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Nonresident Student Contracts H.B. 197 Relates to nonresident student contracts; allows two local school districts to enter into a nonresident student contract for more than one year. http://lrc.ky.gov/RECORD/05RS/HB197.htm... More... SD Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Cross Border Education Contracts H.B. 1149 Allows the Department of Education to enter into certain enrollment agreements with the State of North Dakota; compensates certain school districts for lost revenue due to the agreements. http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2005/bills/HB1149enr.pdf... More... IL Signed into law 01/2005 P-12 School Code H.B. 757 Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code to allow a child with a disability who has completed four years of high school to participate in the graduation ceremony and receive a certificate of completion under specified circumstances. Fur... More... NM Rule Adoption 12/2004 P-12 Public School Administration/Accountability/Standards NMAC 6.10.8 Establishes rules regarding compulsory school attendance. http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title06/06.010.0008.htm ... More... NJ To governor 12/2004 P-12 School Time Curfew Ordinances S.B. 155 Permits municipalities to adopt school-time curfew ordinances for juveniles.... More... OH Rule Adoption 10/2004 P-12 Education Program for Parents of Truant Students OAC 3301-47-01 Amends rules relating to the establishment of an education program for parents of truant students. OHIO REG 11546 (SN)... More... CA Vetoed 09/2004 P-12 Charter Schools and Student Discipline/Attendance A.B. 1860 Prohibits a school district governing board from denying a charter school petition, unless it makes findings that the petition lacks a description of the procedures by which a pupil may be subject to discipline and the procedure employed by the school to safeg... More... CA Signed into law 09/2004 P-12 Health Services Authorization Affidavit A.B. 2855 (multiple provisions) Section 12: Existing law deems a pupil to have complied with the residency requirements for school attendance in a school district if the pupil meets specified requirements, including, among others, that the pupil lives in the home of a caregiving adult that i... More... CA Signed into law 09/2004 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Laws A.B. 2525 (multiple provisions) Extends authorization to January 1, 2006 for a court to order a person who is convicted for failing to comply with compulsory attendance laws to immediately enroll the child in the appropriate school or educational program and provide proof of enrollment to th... More... GA Adopted 08/2004 P-12 Class Size; Absences and Excuses GAC 160-5-1-.08; -.10 Clarifies rules regarding class size, absences and excuses. Renames chapter on absences as Student Attendance. Provides definition of truant and outlines policies and procedures to reduce unexcused absences. Permits a maximum individual class size of 30 for gr... More... IL Signed into law 08/2004 P-12 Compulsory School Age; Alternative Education S.B. 2918 Increases the compulsory school age from 16 to 17 years of age, with exceptions. Provides that certain provisions that apply to truant officers apply to the regional superintendent of schools or his designee in a school district that does not have a truant off... More... IL Signed into law 07/2004 P-12 Student Enrollment S.B. 2115 Amends the School Code. Allows a school or school district to deny enrollment to a student 16 years of age or older for one semester for failure to meet minimum academic or attendance standards if certain conditions are met. Requires a district to identify, tr... More... NY Signed into law 07/2004 P-12 Minor Age Increase For Non School Attendance A.B. 1892 Provides that each school district shall have the power to require minors from sixteen to seventeen years of age to attend upon full time day instruction. http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A01892&sh=t... More... LA Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Juvenile Service Center Truancy and Assessment H.B. 1527 Authorizes any parish in the state, not just pre-existing pilot program parishes, to create truancy and assessment and service centers. Louisiana State University's office of social services research and development to develop and implement a monitoring and ev... More... AK Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Public School Attendance H.B. 338 Amends the required age of a child for school attendance. http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=HB0338Z&session=23... More... AR Rule Adoption 06/2004 P-12 Mandatory Attendance Requirements for Grades 9 - 12 ADE 169 Establishes rules regarding mandatory attendance requirements for grades 9 - 12. http://arkedu.state.ar.us/pdf/ade%20169%20mandatory%20attendance%20req.pdf... More... RI To governor 06/2004 P-12 No Pass No Drive S.B. 2594 Provides that if a minor accumulates fifteen (15) unexcused absences within ninety (90) calendar days, they are ineligible for driving privileges and would provide for enforcement, notification, compliance, reinstatement and jurisdiction of this provision. Thi... More... RI Became law without governor's signature 06/2004 P-12 Drivers License Requirement H.B. 7397 Would set eligibility requirements for school attendance to obtain a driver's license for minor students. This act would take effect on January 15, 2005. ... More... MS Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Adequate Education Program H.B. 741 Relates to Adequate Education Program; deletes repealer on high growth school district formula. If during the year for which adequate education program funds are appropriated, any school district experiences a three percent (3%) or greater increase in avera... More... MD Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Truancy Reduction Pilot Program H.B. 1443 Authorizes the establishment of a Truancy Reduction Pilot Program in certain counties; establishes that failure of children to attend school without a lawful excuse is a code violation; authorizes school officials to petition the juvenile court alleging that a... More... KS Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Postsec. Compulsory Attendance Exemption for Concurrently Enrolled Students H.B. 2795 (multiple provisions) Section 1: Allows student age 16 or 17 to be exempt from compulsory attendance requirements if student is regularly enrolled in a school and is concurrently enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution. Makes provisions applicable to children from and ... More... MS Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Office Of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement H.B. 663 Deletes repealer on the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement. Extends the repealer on the Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement within the Department of Education to July 1, 2009. http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2004/pd... More... NJ Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Task Force to Study Attendance in Public Schools A.J.R. 68 Establishes the Task Force to Study Attendance in Public Schools to study current practices within school districts in the state regarding student attendance, including, but not limited to absences, tardiness, procedures for addressing students with patterns o... More... GA Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Education Provisions H.B. 1190 Provides for the revision of certain provisions regarding education flexibility and accountability; requires the State Board of Education to create a single state-wide accountability system by December 31, 2004; amends provisions regarding school councils; am... More... TN Signed into law 05/2004 P-12 Residency When Custodial Parents Span Districts S.B. 3305 Requires the state board to formulate policy for attendance and transfer of students whose custodial parents reside in two local education agencies.... More... MS Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 State Auditor H.B. 1251 Provides the State Auditor with authority to establish effective and efficient policies and procedures for auditing student attendance and data in local school districts. In particular, the State Auditor will have more flexibility regarding on-site audits and ... More... NE Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Ages L.B. 868 LB 868 changes the mandatory ages for compulsory education. From the fiscal note: Currently, ages are from age 7 through age 15. Beginning in the 2005-06 school year, children will be required to attend school if they will reach the age of 6 by January 1st of ... More... VA Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 School Attendance Enforcement H.B. 1326 Strengthens the mechanisms for enforcement of the compulsory school attendance law; removes the restriction on the court's use of contempt power in enforcing compulsory school attendance and parental responsibility provisions; clarifies and reinforces the cour... More... VA Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Notification to Parents of Rights of Students S.B. 438 Directs local school boards to notify parents of the educational rights of students who fail to graduate or who have failed to achieve the number of verified units of credit required for graduation as provided in the standards of accreditation or who have been... More... KY Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Excused Absences from School S.B. 80 Requires a school principal to give a student an excused absence of up to ten days to pursue an educational enhancement opportunity of significant educational value, and provides for an appeal of a negative decision to the local board of education. Specifies t... More... KY Signed into law 04/2004 P-12 Children With Disabilities H.B. 10 Provides that an exemption from compulsory attendance student may be granted to 1) a child certified by specified professionals to have a chronic physical condition that prevents or renders inadvisable attendance at school, and which is unlikely to improve sub... More... VA Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Compulsory School Attendance S.B. 404 Excuses from compulsory school attendance requirements persons 16 through 18 years of age who are housed in adult correctional facilities and who are actively pursuing a general education development certificate but who are not enrolled in an individual studen... More... IN Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Reporting Student Absenteeism H.B. 1202 Requires a school corporation or an accredited nonpublic school to report to the local health department the percentage of student absences above a threshold determined by the department rule. http://www.in.gov/legislative/bills/2004/HE/HE1202.1.html... More... ME Signed into law 03/2004 P-12 Habitual Truants H.P. 800 Requires the superintendent to send a notice to the parent of a truant informing the parent that the child is truant and the child is required by law to attend school; requires the superintendent to report the truancy of a child to the local law enforcement ag... More... NM Rule Adoption 12/2003 P-12 School Attendance NMAC 8.200.420; Section 10 Establishes rules amending language to remove school attendance requirements for children under 18 years of age. Clarifies school attendance requirements for children 18 years of age. NEW MEXICO REG 3931 (SN)... More... WI Signed into law 11/2003 P-12 Dispositional Orders for Truancy A.B. 62 Provides for the specifications for school attendance of a dispositional order for truant or habitual truant and the disclosure of juvenile court records by a juvenile court or a municipal court for children of certain age groups.... More... TX Rule Adoption 10/2003 P-12 Student Attendance Accounting 19 TAC 129.1025 Amends rules concerning student attendance accounting. Adopts by reference the 2003-2004 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook which provides student attendance accounting rules for school districts and charter schools. TEXAS REG 86427 (SN)... More... OH Signed into law 08/2003 P-12 Measuring Attendance H.B. 3 - Omnibus Bill -- Attendance Rates Requires the department of education, by January 1, 2004, to provide to the General Assembly a feasible standard for measuring school district attendance rates.... More... RI Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 First Grade Entrance Age S.B. 593 This act would provide that a child, who has or will have completed six (6) years of life on or before September 1, rather than December 1, of any school year, shall be eligible to attend first grade. This act would take effect on January 1, 2006.... More... RI Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Compulsory Schooling Ages S.B. 594 Provides that a child, who has or will have completed six (6) years of life by September 1, rather than December 1, of any school year, and has not completed sixteen (16) years of life, must regularly attend school.... More... DE Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Truancy H.B. 186 Relates to truancy; permits local school districts and charter schools to define what constitutes a valid excuse from attending school and to excuse students with a valid excuse from attending school; requires that persons acting as caregivers must ensure that... More... NC Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Child Welfare Laws S.B. 421 Enhances the state's ability to protect children; after a student has 10 absences, if a principal finds that the parent has not made a good faith effort to comply with the law, the principal is required to notify the district attorney and the director of socia... More... NH Signed into law 07/2003 P-12 Public School Education Legal Residency H.B. 568 Relates to legal residency for the purpose of public school education; changes the definition of legal residency for homeless children and youths; provides that disputes regarding residency shall be resolved by the commissioner of the department of education, ... More... DE Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Homeschool and Attendance Requirements S.B. 103 This legislation is in response to the report by the Homeschool Committee as created by SJR 9. This legislation defines the types of homeschools, provides that students who are educated in the defined types of homeschools are exempt from the public school com... More... ME Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 Health Records S.P. 96 (LD 262) Requires that disciplinary, attendance and health records be included in the records that follow a student who transfers to another school either within or outside the state. http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/billtexts/LD026201-1.asp... More... NV Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Requirements for Promotion to Next Grade S.B. 253 Provides that a pupil must be in attendance for a minimum number of days to obtain credit or to be promoted to the next higher grade; requiring each school to provide notice to the parent or legal guardian of a pupil before the pupil is denied credit or promot... More... TX Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Reciprocity Agreements H.B. 591 To facilitate the transfer of military personnel and their dependents to and from the public schools of this state, the agency is required to pursue reciprocity agreements with other states governing the terms of those transfers. Reciprocity agreement must pe... More... TN Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Fraudulent Enrollment S.B. 396 Prohibits out-of-district or out-of-state enrollment within a school system. Restitution for out-of-district or out-of-state enrollment would be based on an amount equal to the local per pupil expenditure for students identified by the Tennessee department of... More... ME Signed into law 05/2003 P-12 Enrollment Age EligibilitySAME AS: 592 S.P. 201 Regards age eligibility for enrollment in a public secondary school; authorizes the Commissioner of Education to waive on a case-by-case basis waivers of age requirements to allow students who have reached 20 years of age before the start of the school year to... More... WA Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 Expanding Residency H.B. 1470 Expands "residency" for purposes of attending Washington public schools. Any child who is of school age and otherwise eligible, residing in a home that is located in Idaho but that has a Washington address for the purposes of the United States postal service... More... CO Signed into law 04/2003 P-12 School Attendance Law H.B. 1226 Concerns a juvenile's right to counsel at proceedings under the School Attendance Law of 1963. http://www.leg.state.co.us/2003a/inetcbill.nsf/fsbillcont/C38AB5E15B8915CF87256CAB000098EF?Open&file=1226_enr.pdf... More... WV Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 No Pass No Drive Changes S.B. 162 Expunges motor vehicle license information for nineteen-year-olds when suspensions or revocations of their licenses are due to school attendance.... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Full School Days H.B. 1439 Requires high school students in grades 9 -12 to attend a full school day. Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, students in grades nine through twelve (9-12) shall be required to schedule and attend a full school day. (b)(1) No later than January 30, 2004... More... AR Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Attendance Law H.B. 1457 Amends the compulsory attendance law to reflect changes in the general education diploma requirements.http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/ftproot/bills/2003/public/HB1457.pdf... More... VA Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Truancy Court H.B. 1559 Allows a juvenile who is found to be in need of services or in need of supervision for failure to comply with the compulsory school attendance requirements to be deferred for a period of 120 days and admitted to a truancy program approved by the court; provide... More... MS Signed into law 03/2003 P-12 Minimum Compulsory School Age S.B. 2394 Provides that the Compulsory School Attendance Law shall apply to any 5-year-old as of September 1st of an academic year, and who is already enrolled in a full-day public school kindergarten program (minimum compulsory school age remains 6 for those children w... More... CA Signed into law 09/2002 P-12 Accountability Report Cards, Other A.B. 1818 Requires the school accountability report card to include the rate of pupils who earn Governor's scholarship awards. Deletes provisions which limit the amount of compensation of a school board member. Deletes the certification requirement regarding charter sch... More... CA Vetoed 09/2002 P-12 Compulsory Attendance for Kindergarten A.B. 634 Makes, commencing 7/1/2004, the Compulsory Attendance Law apply to a child, and the parents or guardian of a child between the ages of 5 and 6 who is enrolled in a public school kindergarten and attends the kindergarten for at least 30 days during the school y... More... DE Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Truancy Prevention S.B. 404 This Act requires the building principal to notify a visiting teacher when a student in grades 6 through 12 has ten or more unexcused days from school. The current statute provides a procedure for a visiting teacher to follow for students in grades K through ... More... RI To governor 06/2002 P-12 Compulsory Attendance S.B. 2108 Requires children between 16 and 18 years of age to obtain permission from a custodial parent or guardian in order to be exempt from mandatory school attendance.... More... OK Vetoed 06/2002 P-12 Transfers, Social Studies S.B. 701 On or before September 1, 2002, the state board must adopt rules to ensure that students who transfer into an Oklahoma school district from out of state after the student's junior year of high school shall not be denied, due to differing graduation requirement... More... DE Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Truancy Charges Against Parents and Students H.B. 380 Permits civil charges to be brought against a student at the same time that criminal charges are brought against the parent, if the student is age 12 or over; amends both the truancy statute and the probation before judgment statute to permit the use of probat... More... TN Signed into law 06/2002 P-12 Truancy Prevention H.B. 2650 Relates to truancy; mukes state-wide present authorization limited to Shelby County for local education agency to enter into agreement with its local law enforcement agency to enforce compulsory attendance.... More... FL Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Education Code Re-Write: New Section on Student Conduct and Parental Involvement Goals S.B. 20E Establishes legislative intent that 1) every K-12 public school student attend school throughout the school year and comply with the school's code of conduct; and 2) parents of every public K-12 student "comply with the school's reasonable and time-acceptable ... More... AL Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Military Leave of Absence Granted H.B. 464 Extends active duty military protections and rights to members of the National Guard called or ordered by the Governor to State active duty for 30 consecutive days or more for emergencies or federally funded duty, other than training for homeland security; rel... More... CO Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Violation of Court Order for Truancy H.B. 1079 Allows the court to impose incarceration to juvenile detention facility for violating a valid court order under the "School Attendance Law of 1963" after finding the child is guilty of the charges; or child found in contempt of court may be placed in community... More... LA Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Truancy and Assessment and Service Centers S.B. 32A Adds a judicial district to the truancy and assessment and service center pilot program. http://www.legis.state.la.us/leg_docs/021ES/CVT5/OUT/0000JIZA.PDF... More... MS Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement; School Attendance Officers; Task Force for Department Financial Management Practices Review H.B. 492 Reenacts sections relating to Office of Compulsory School Attendance Enforcement and school attendance officers. Creates a Task Force to Conduct a Best Financial Management Practices Review of the State Department of Education. Requires the development of best... More... ID Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 District Actions Against School Attendance Violations H.B. 657 Provides a procedure for the board of trustees of a school district when a child is determined to be in violation of school attendance requirements.... More... MS Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Adult Presence at Child's School Enrollment H.B. 1030 Clarifies that school districts may require a parent, guardian or custodian to accompany child seeking to enroll in the school district.... More... WV Signed into law 03/2002 P-12 Attending Outside the District H.B. 4428 Relates to the counting of students in net enrollment when the transfer of students between counties is effectuated without the agreement of both boards by official action as reflected in the minutes of their respective meetings.... More... CA Signed into law 01/2002 P-12 Omnibus Bill -- Truancy, Dropout Prevention Components A.B. 804 Any minor who is required to be reported as a truant may be required to attend makeup classes conducted on one day of a weekend and is subject to the following: (a) The first time a truancy report is required, the pupil may be personally given a written warni... More... LA Signed into law 07/2001 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Until Age 18 H.B. 19 , Requires with certain exceptions, persons having control of a child to send such child to school from the child's seventh birthday until his eighteenth birthday rather than his seventeenth birthday.... More... TX Signed into law 06/2001 P-12 Truancy S.B. 1432 Relates to truancy and the authority of justice and municipal courts in relation to children; provides criminal penalties for contributing to a truancy.... More... OK Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Remote Internet-Based Courses S.B. 595 The state board shall adopt rules no later than July 1, 2001, to provide for the implementation of remote internet-based courses. Each district board of education shall adopt policies and procedures that conform to rules for internet-based courses as adopted ... More... IA Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Compulsory Attendance S.B. 412 Relates to the compulsory attendance age and attendance at school during the regular school calendar by a child who has reached the age of 16.... More... WV Signed into law 05/2001 P-12 Cannot Suspend for Truancy S.B. 439 Prohibits suspension as discipline for failure to attend class; stipulates other methods of discipline may be used for the pupil which may include, but are not limited to, detention, extra class time or alternative class settings; abolishes corporal punishment... More... ND Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 Attendance of Six-Year Olds H.B. 1371 Any person having responsibility for a child between the ages of seven and sixteen years shall ensure that the child is in attendance at a public school for the duration of each school year. If a person enrolls a child of age six in a public school, the perso... More... AR Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 Students Attending Adult Ed. Programs H.B. 2300 Institutes a monitoring program for students obtaining waivers of school attendance requirements to attend adult education programs.... More... NM Signed into law 04/2001 P-12 Compulsory Attendance Age H.B. 781 Raises compulsory school attendance age from 16 to age 17.... More... WY Signed into law 02/2001 P-12 State Fair an Excuse for Missing School S.B. 86 Relates to school districts; requires districts to excuse students participating in the state fair from school attendance.... More... NY To governor 12/2000 P-12 Compulsory Attendance S.B. 8071 Increases the age after which a minor may not be required to attend school from 16 to 17.... More... TN Became law without governor's signature 06/2000 P-12 Tying Drivers License to Attendance S.B. 3152 Requires State to deny drivers license or permit to student withdrawn from secondary school who has 5 or more unexcused absences while attending course leading to a GED certificate.... More... VT Signed into law 06/2000 P-12 Compulsory School Attendance (part of Safe Schools Bill) H.B. 270 The age of compulsory school attendance is lowered from age seven to six. ... More... CT Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Compulsory Attendance - Age 18 H.B. 5276 Starting July 1, 2001, this act requires students to stay in school until age 18, instead of age 16, unless their parents consent to their leaving school before they turn 18 or graduate. The parent must appear at the school district office to sign a form with... More... TN Signed into law 05/2000 P-12 Habitual Truancy S.B. 2425 Establishes standard by which school pupils subject to mandatory attendance are found to be habitual truant or truant; authorizes law enforcement officers and school attendance officers to pick up and deliver truant to parent, guardian, school principal or tru... More... NH Signed into law 04/2000 P-12 Interstate Agreement for Attendance S.B. 319 In cases where New Hampshire is party to an interstate school agreement with another state, this bill allows New Hampshire pupils to attend a school which meets the standards established by one of the 2 states. ... More... MS Signed into law 04/2000 P-12 Law Enforcement authorized for Truancy Prevention S.B. 3043 Provides that certain law enforcement officers shall be authorized to investigate and file petitions in the proper court against parent or child under the provisions of the State Compulsory School Attendance Law.... More... GA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Omnibus Bill - Compulsory Attendance H.B. 1187 The compulsory attendance age is lowered from seven to six. ... More... GA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Omnibus Bill - School Attendance Zones H.B. 1187 Allows parents or guardians of students who live closer to a school other than the one to which they are assigned to request to attend the closer school, even if the school is across county lines. The State Board of Education decides if the school is actually ... More... VA Signed into law 03/2000 P-12 Attendance/Driving Privileges H.B. 490 Requires the juvenile and domestic relations court to order the denial of driving privileges for at least 30 days to any child at least 13 years of age upon a finding that the child has failed to comply with certain school attendance and parent-school conferen... More... VA Signed into law 02/2000 P-12 Postsec. K-12 Nonresident Tuition S.B. 499 Revises the provision authorizing school boards to admit nonresident students and charge such students tuition, to provide that persons of school age who reside beyond the boundaries of the Commonwealth but near thereto in a state or the District of Columbia w... More...