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B26-0276 • 2025

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Children Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Mendelson
Last action
2025-09-12
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact nature and extent of exemptions for minor students aged 14-17 years old during the pilot program are not specified in the provided official bill text.

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This act directs the Mayor to establish a truancy pilot program for five secondary schools with high rates of unexcused absences, requiring these schools to refer students aged 14-17 to DHS after accumulating fifteen unexcused full school day absences.

What This Bill Does

  • The Mayor must identify five secondary educational institutions in Washington D.C. that had a truancy rate greater than 50% during the 2023-2024 school year to participate in a truancy pilot program with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the 2024-2025 school year.
  • The Mayor must notify these schools at least ten business days before the start of the 2024-2025 school year about their participation in the truancy pilot program, including contact information and procedures to follow.
  • Each participating school must refer students aged 14 through 17 years old to DHS no later than two school days after they accumulate fifteen unexcused full school day absences within a single school year.
  • DHS is required to publish preliminary and final reports by March 31, 2025, and August 15, 2025, respectively. These reports must describe the interventions provided through the truancy pilot program and analyze attendance outcomes, academic performance, and delinquency status of students referred to DHS.
  • Participating schools are exempt from certain requirements for minor students aged 14-17 years old during the duration of the pilot program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Secondary educational institutions in Washington D.C. that had a truancy rate greater than 50% during the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Students aged 14 through 17 years old who attend these five secondary schools and accumulate fifteen unexcused full school day absences within a single school year.
  • The Department of Human Services (DHS) in Washington D.C.

Terms To Know

truancy
the act of being absent from school without permission
delinquency status
whether a minor student was arrested by law enforcement during the time period analyzed in the report.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The pilot program will expire after 225 days of its effective date.
  • This act only applies to five specific secondary educational institutions identified for high truancy rates.
  • It is unclear how the results of this pilot program will be used beyond the specified time frame.

Bill History

  1. 2025-09-12 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law L26-0034, Effective from Aug 23, 2025 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 009573, Expires on Apr 05, 2026

  2. 2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0102 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 007686

  4. 2025-07-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Returned from Mayor

  5. 2025-07-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0102

  6. 2025-06-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 09, 2025

  7. 2025-06-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2025-06-06 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0276 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  9. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  10. 2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  11. 2025-06-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0276 Introduced by Chairman Mendelson at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL,
ANACT.

D.C. ACT 26-102
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
JULY 7, 2025
Toamend,onatemporarybasis,section7ofArticleIlofAnActToprovideforcompulsoryschoolattendance,forthetakingofa schoolcensusintheDistrictofColumbia,andforotherpurposestodirecttheMayortoestablishatruancypilotforthepurposeofreferringstudentswithunexcusedabsencestotheDepartmentofHumanServicesanddocumentingattendanceandacademicoutcomesofstudentsreceivinginterventionsfromtheDepartmentofHumanServices.
BEITENACTEDBYTHECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIA,Thatthisactmaybecitedasthe“PilotTruancyReductionTemporaryAmendmentActof2025”.
Sec.2.Section7ofArticleIIofAnActToprovideforcompulsoryschoolattendance,forthetakingofa schoolcensusintheDistrictofColumbia,andforotherpurposes,effectiveSeptember19,2013(D.C.Law20-17;D.C.OfficialCode§38-208),isamendedbyaddinganewsubsection(c-1)toreadasfollows:“(c-1)(1)(A)ByAugust12,2024,theMayorshallidentify5secondaryeducationalinstitutionsintheDistrictthathadatruancyrategreaterthan50%inthe2023-2024schoolyeartoparticipateinatruancypilotwiththeDepartmentofHumanServices(“DHS”)duringSchool‘Year2024-2025.“(B)TheMayorshallnotifytheidentifiededucationalinstitutionsoftheirparticipationinthetruancypilotatleast10businessdaysbeforethefirstdayofinstructioninSchoolYear2024-2025.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
studentsreferredtoDHS,suchashousinginstability,transportationissues,ormedical
emergencies;
“(C)Presentsaggregatedataonthe5mostcommontruancyintervention
servicesorprogramsthatstudentsreferredtoDHS utilized;and
“(D)Providesananalysisthatcompares:
(i)Theattendanceoutcomes,academicperformance,and
delinquencystatusof studentsreferredtoDHS tothestudents’attendanceoutcomes,academic
performance,anddelinquencystatusduringthesametimeperiodinthepriorschoolyear;
“(ii)The attendanceoutcomes,academic performance,and
delinquencystatusof studentsreferredtoDHS beforeand aftertheDHS referralduringthe
applicabletime periodforSchool Year 2024-2025;and
“(iii)Theattendanceoutcomesandacademicperformanceof
educationalinstitutionsparticipatinginthetruancypilotwith theattendanceand academic
performanceduringSchoolYear2024-2025ofnon-participatingsecondaryeducational
institutionsthataresocio-demographicallysimilartoparticipatingeducationalinstitutions.
*(4)Forpurposesofparagraph(3)ofthissubsection,theterm“delinquency
status”meanswhetheraminorstudentwasarrestedbyalawenforcementofficialduringthe
timeperiodanalyzedinthereport.
“(5)Educationalinstitutionsparticipatinginthetruancypilotshallbeexempt
fromtherequirementsofsubsection(c)ofthissectionforminorstudentswhoare14through17
yearsofage.”.
Sec.3.Fiscalimpactstatement,‘TheCounciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementoftheBudgetDirectorasthefiscalimpactstatementrequiredbysection4aoftheGeneralLegislativeProceduresActof1975,approvedOctober16,2006(120Stat.2038;D.C.OfficialCode§1-301.47a).
Sec.4,Effectivedate.(@)ThisactshalltakeeffectafterapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobythe
Mayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approvedDecember

ENROLLED ORIGINAL
24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)(1)).
(b)Thisactshallexpireafter225daysofitshavingtakeneffect.
airman
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia

DistrictofColuntbiaAPPROVEDJULY 7, 2025
COUNCILOF THEDISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[ITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR:
DJACTION FirstReading
VOTE DATE June3,2025
Voicevor ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE—Result

CouncilMember Aye |Nay |NV | AB | Rec| CouncilMember __|Aye| Nay |NV | AB | Rec| CouncilMember | Aye|Nay |NV_|AB | Rec
CharmanMendetson]x Henderson| x Pinto
‘Alen x LewisGeorge|x R.White
Bonds x McDutie x
Felder x Nadeau x
x Parker x
‘AB~Absont NV-Present,NotVoting RecRecused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD G-\B ows
i
DocketNo.B26-0276
[X1TEMONCONSENTCALENDAR
[xTACTION FinalReading,CC
[x1voTEDATE ‘une17,2025
[x1voIcevore Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT
[JROLLCALLVOTE-Resut

CouncitMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec]CouncilMember[Aye[Nay|NV[AB[Rec|CounciMember[Aye[Nay[NV[AB[Rec
ChairmanMendelson]x Henderson x Pinto
‘Allen x LewisGeorge| x R.White
Bonds x MeDutfe x
Felaer x Nadeau x
Frumin x Parker x
X-IndicateVote AB -Absent NV -Present,NotVoting Rec -Recused
CERTIFICATIONRECORD |
REG I ies c G.8-y¥s |
‘SecretarytotheCounc