From the ECS State Policy Database Attendance--Truancy

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 CA Signed into law 09/2012 P-12 Truancy A.B. 2616 From bill summary: Identifies specific reasons that constitute a valid excuse for which a pupil may be absent from school for purposes of be... More... MA Signed into law 08/2012 P-12 Student Access to Educational Services and Exclusion from School H.B. 4332 Requires districts to continue to provide educational services to students who have been suspended or expelled. Requires principals to ensur... More... RI Signed into law 05/2012 P-12 Truancy Cannot Result in Out-of-School Suspension H.B. 7287 and S.B. 2542 Prohibits schools from considering a students truancy or absenteeism as a basis for using an out-of-school suspension as a disciplinary acti... 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 ... 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 ... More... GA Signed into law 04/2012 P-12 Administration and Enforcement of Compulsory Attendance Laws H.B. 706 - Administration and Enforcement of Compulsory Attendance Laws Clarifies that responsibility for administration and enforcement of compulsory attendance laws is the duty of the state department of educa... More... VA Vetoed 04/2012 P-12 Regulations to Address Truancy H.B. 886 Requires the Board of Education to promulgate regulations by July 1, 2013, to address truancy. In promulgating these regulations, the Board ... More... SD Signed into law 02/2012 P-12 Attendance of Children Receiving Alternative Instruction. H.B. 1005 Revises certain provisions regarding the excuse from attendance of children receiving alternative instruction.http://legis.state.sd.us/sessi... 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 j... 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... More... CO Signed into law 03/2011 P-12 Truancy Policies H.B. 1053 Encourages school districts and courts to consider detention and incarceration as a last resort approach for addressing the problem of stude... 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-mai... 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... More... LA Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Student Attendance Policies S.B. 309 Revises compulsory school attendance, and habitual student absence or tardiness policies. http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocume... 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... 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 s... More... ID Signed into law 04/2010 P-12 Truancy H.B. 545 Amends existing law relating to education to revise the definition of "habitual truant," to provide for a certain designee and to provide th... 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... More... IL Signed into law 08/2009 P-12 Truancy Reporting S.B. 1977 - Truancy Reporting Existing language requires reporting of truancy data only in Chicago. Amendment requires all regional superintendents, district superintende... 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. P... 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 cus... More... WA Signed into law 04/2009 P-12 Truancy S.B. 5881 Changes provisions involving truancy; related to a requirement that a school inform a child's parent if the child fails to attend school; pr... 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/200... 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. ht... More... CO Adopted 01/2009 P-12 Attendence 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 indi... 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 mu... More... CA Vetoed 09/2008 P-12 truancy S.B. 29 Requires a public school, school district, and county office of education that issues a device that uses radio frequency identification for ... 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 th... 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 f... 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 publi... 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 interventio... 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 sch... 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 misse... More... WA Signed into law 03/2008 P-12 Truancy Fines S.B. 6398 Courts must remit fifty percent of the fines collected in truancy court judgements against parents (who allow their children to skip school ... More... UT Adopted 10/2007 P-12 Truancy Prevention R277-607 Adopts rules in compliance with 2007 H.B. 207. Amends definition of "habitual truant." Requires local boards and charter school boards to de... More... CA Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Funding state mandates A.B. 1698 Requires the Commission on State Mandates to amend the parameters and guidelines regarding the notification of truancy mandate program and d... More... LA Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 Truancy and Assessment and Service Centers S.B. 187 Gives permanent status to truancy and assessment and service centers (which were initially established through a pilot program). Deletes lan... 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 kinderga... 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 ... 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 ju... More... KY Signed into law 04/2007 P-12 Student Record Transfer H.B. 145 Provides that for purposes of establishing a student's status as a truant, the student's attendance record is cumulative for an entire schoo... More... UT Signed into law 03/2007 P-12 School Truancy & Compulsory Education Updates H.B. 207 Directs a local school board, local charter board, or school district to preapprove an extended absence of a school-age minor if it is deter... More... IL Signed into law 07/2006 P-12 Chronic Truants S.B. 2197 Provides that counties and municipalities may adopt ordinances to regulate truants within their jurisdiction and may impose a graduated fine... More... MO To Governor 06/2006 P-12 15 or More Absences S.B. 894 In any city not within a county where a student accumulates 15 or more absences during any one school year, the child's school district must... More... KY Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Truancy H.B. 479 Relates to pupil attendance policies; permits an assistant to the director of pupil personnel to perform the required duties of the director... More... LA Adopted 02/2006 P-12 Truancy Assessment and Service Centers LAC 67:III.5539 Authorizes the Office of Family Support to enter into Memoranda of Understanding or contracts to establish Truancy Assessment and Service Ce... 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. Whil... More... NC Signed into law 08/2005 P-12 Increased penalty for truancy H.B. 779 AN ACT to increase the penalty for aiding and abetting a student's unlawful absence from school. Any person who aids or abets a student's un... 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 re... More... NH Signed into law 05/2005 P-12 Truancy Defined H.B. 150 Truancy Defined. I. For the purposes of this subdivision, "truancy" means an unexcused absence from school or class and "unexcused absence"... 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 ... 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... 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 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 law... 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 offic... 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. Loui... 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 p... 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 ... 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 ... 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 t... 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 attendan... 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 ... 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 ... 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/OU... 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 subje... More... CA Signed into law 09/2000 P-12 Mandatory Student Attendance S.B. 1913 Authorizes, until 01/01/05, a court to order a person who is convicted for failing to comply with the attendance laws, as specified, to imme... More... DE Signed into law 06/2000 P-12 Increased Penalties for Truancy H.B. 213 Increases the penalties for a violation of compulsory school attendance requirements by parents; gives jurisdiction over parental violations... 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 atten... 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 enforc... More...