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B26-0275 • 2025

Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2025-07-04
Official status
Enacted
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on exemptions or consequences for non-compliance by educational institutions.

Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This act requires the Mayor to identify five secondary schools with high truancy rates and work with DHS to refer students aged 14-17 who have missed 15 unexcused full days of school within one year to DHS for interventions, then report on their effectiveness.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the Mayor to identify five secondary educational institutions in DC that had a truancy rate greater than 50% during the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Directs these identified schools to refer students aged 14 through 17 who have missed 15 unexcused full days of school within one school year to DHS no later than two school days after the accrual of absences.
  • Requires DHS to publish a preliminary report by March 31, 2025 and a final report by August 15, 2025 detailing interventions provided, reasons for unexcused absences, common services used, and outcomes compared to previous years.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Secondary educational institutions in DC with high truancy rates.
  • Students aged 14-17 who have missed 15 unexcused full days of school within one year at these identified schools.
  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) which will provide interventions and report on their effectiveness.

Terms To Know

Truancy
Unlawful absence from school without a valid excuse.
Department of Human Services (DHS)
A government agency that provides services to help people in need, including interventions for students with attendance issues.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act is effective for no longer than 90 days after the applicability date.
  • It does not specify what happens if a school fails to comply with the requirements of the pilot program.

Bill History

  1. 2025-07-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0091 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 007554, Expires on Sep 24, 2025

  2. 2025-06-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Enacted without Mayor's Signature with Act Number A26-0091, Expires on Sep 24, 2025

  3. 2025-06-26 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  4. 2025-06-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jun 25, 2025

  5. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  6. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2025-06-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0275 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Pilot Truancy Reduction Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL.
ANACT
D.C. ACT 26-91
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
JUNE 26, 2025
Toamend,onanemergencybasis,section7ofArticleIIofAnActToprovideforcompulsoryschoolattendance,forthetakingofa schoolcensusintheDistrictofColumbia,andforotherpurposestodirecttheMayortoestablishatruaneypilotforthepurposeofreferringstudentswithunexcusedabsencestotheDepartmentofHumanServicesanddocumentingattendanceandacademicoutcomesofstudentsreceivinginterventionsfromtheDepartmentofHumanServices.
BEIT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Thatthis
actmay be citedasthe“PilotTruancyReductionEmergency Amendment Actof 2025”.
See.2.Section7ofArticleIlofAnActToprovideforcompulsoryschoolattendance,forthetakingofaschoolcensusintheDistrictofColumbia,andforotherpurposes,effectiveSeptember19,2013(D.C.Law20-17;D.C.OfficialCode§38-208),isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection(c-1)toreadasfollows:“(¢-1)(1)(A)ByAugust12,2024,theMayorshallidentify5secondaryeducationalinstitutionsinthe Districtthathad a truancyrategreaterthan 50% inthe 2023-2024 schoolyear
toparticipateinatruancypilotwiththeDepartmentofHumanServices(“DHS”)duringSchoo!Year 2024-2025.
“(B)TheMayorshallnotifytheidentifiededucationalinstitutionsoftheirparticipationinthetruancypilotatleast10businessdaysbeforethefirstdayofinstructioninSchoo!Year2024-2025.Thenoticeshallincludeappropriateagencycontacts,timelines,andproceduresforcomplyingwithparagraph(2)ofthissubsection.“(2)The5secondaryeducationalinstitutionsidentifiedpursuanttoparagraph(1)ofthissubsectionshallrefereachstudentwhois14yearsofagethrough17yearsofagetoDHSnolaterthan2schooldaysaftertheaccrualof15unexcusedfullschooldayabsenceswithinaschoolyear.“(3)ByMarch31,2025,DHSshallpublishapreliminaryreport,andbyAugust15,2025,DHSshallpublishafinalreportthat:
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
“(A) Describestheinterventionsand servicesprovidedthroughthe
truancypilot;
“(B) Providesthe5 most common reasonsforunexcusedabsencesforthe
studentsreferredto DHS, such as housinginstability,transportationissues,or medical
emergencies;
“(C) Presentsaggregatedataon the5 most common truancyintervention:
servicesor programs thatstudentsreferredtoDHS utilized;and
“(D)Providesananalysisthatcompares:
“()Theattendanceoutcomes,academicperformance,and
delinquencystatusof studentsreferredtoDHS tothestudents’attendanceoutcomes,academic
performance,anddelinquencystatusduringthesametimeperiodinthepriorschoolyear:
“(i)Theattendanceoutcomes,academicperformance,and
delinquencystatusof studentsreferredto DHS beforeand aftertheDHS referralduringthe
applicabletimeperiodforSchoolYear2024-2025;and
“(iii)The attendanceoutcomesandacademicperformanceof
educationalinstitutionsparticipatinginthetruancypilotwiththeattendanceandacademic
performanceduringSchoolYear2024-2025ofnon-participatingsecondaryeducational
institutionsthataresocio-demographicallysimilartoparticipatingeducationalinstitutions.
“(4)Forpurposesofparagraph(3)ofthissubsection,theterm“delinquency
status”means whethera minor studentwas arrestedby a law enforcementofficialduringthe
time periodanalyzedinthereport.
“(5)Educationalinstitutionsparticipatinginthetruancypilotshallbeexempt
from therequirementsof subsection(c)ofthis sectionforminor studentswho are 14 through17
yearsofage.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement.TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approved
October16,2006(120Stat.2038:D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4. Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor, actionby the Council to overridethe veto),and shallremain in effectforno longer than
90 days afterthe applicabilitydate of thisact,as provided foremergency actsof the Council of
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
theDistrictof Columbia insection412(a)ofthe Districtof Columbia Home Rule Act,approved
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat.788; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-204.12(a)).
1 Hypph —
irman
Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia

Districtdf Columbia.
APPROVEDJUNE 26, 2025

{ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[X]ACTION
[x]VOTEDATE
[x]VoicevoTE
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
‘ABSENT
[] ROLL CALL VOTE — Result
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004
FinalReading
June3,2026
‘Approved

cretaryfo ES :
[CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec[CouncitMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec|CouncitMember[Aye
ChairmanMendelson|X Henderson__| x Pinto x
‘Alen x LewisGeorge| x R.White x
Bonds x McDuffie x
Felaer x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote ‘AB~Absent NV--Prosent,NotVoting Rec-Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD