B26-0276 • 2025

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

Children Education Housing Parental Rights

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 bill metadata indicates an effective date of Aug 23, 2025, but the report deadlines in the text are March 31 and August 15, 2025. This creates a timeline conflict where reports were due before the law officially took effect.

Pilot Truancy Reduction Temporary Amendment Act of 2025

This law creates a temporary pilot program requiring five high schools with very high truancy rates to refer students aged 14 to 17 who miss many days without excuse to the Department of Human Services for help.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Mayor to identify five secondary schools in D.C. that had a truancy rate greater than 50% during the 2023-2024 school year.
Mandates these schools to refer students aged 14 through 17 who accumulate 15 unexcused full-day absences within a school year to the Department of Human Services (DHS) no later than two school days after reaching that number.
Exempts participating schools from standard truancy rules for minor students in this age group during the pilot program.
Orders DHS to publish a preliminary report by March 31, 2025, and a final report by August 15, 2025.
Requires reports to list interventions provided, the five most common reasons for unexcused absences (such as housing instability or transportation issues), data on services used, and comparisons of attendance, academic performance, and delinquency status before and after referrals.

Who It Names or Affects

Five secondary schools in D.C. selected by the Mayor based on having a truancy rate greater than 50%.
Students aged 14 to 17 enrolled in those specific schools who accumulate unexcused absences.
The Department of Human Services, which provides interventions and tracks student outcomes.

Terms To Know

Truancy: Unexcused absence from school without a valid reason provided by the parent or guardian.
Pilot program: A temporary test of a new policy to see if it works before making it permanent law.
Delinquency status: Whether a minor student was arrested by a law enforcement official during the time period analyzed in the report.

Limits and Unknowns

The law expires automatically after 225 days from when it takes effect.
The specific names of the five schools are not listed until the Mayor identifies them by August 12, 2024.
The reports only cover data for School Year 2024-2025.

Bill History

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
2025-07-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Congress
2025-07-11 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Act A26-0102 Published in DC Register Vol 72 and Page 007686
2025-07-08 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Returned from Mayor
2025-07-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0102
2025-06-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Jul 09, 2025
2025-06-17 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
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
2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Retained by the Council
2025-06-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS
Legislative Meeting
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