Improving School Attendance Outcomes Amendment Act of 2025

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_____________________________ _____________________________ 2
Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Zachary Parker 3
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A BILL 6
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
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To amend An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school 15
census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes to repeal the requirement that 16
educational institutions send a letter and MPD information to the parents of truant youth, 17
to reduce the number of absences after which the educational institution must notify 18
OSSE from 10 to 5 unexcused full school days, to require the educational institution to 19
notify the Office of the Attorney General after 10 unexcused full day absences of a minor 20
student and to require OAG to send a warning letter to the minor student and their 21
caretaker, to transfer screened-out educational neglect referrals from Child and Family 22
Services Agency to the Department of Human Services for follow up and support 23
resources, and to require the Mayor to propose a unified referral system for educational 24
neglect and truancy by March 31, 2028. 25
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 27
act may be cited as the “Improving School Attendance Outcomes Amendment Act of 2025.” 28
Sec. 2. An Act To provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school 29
census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 30
806; D.C. Official Code § 38-208) is amended as follows: 31
(a) Section 6 of Article II (D.C. Official Code §38-208) is amended by repealing 32
subsection (c). 33
(b) Section 7(b) of Article II (D.C. Official Code §38-208) is amended to read as follows: 34

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“(b) For minor students age 5 and older, within 3 days of the 5th unexcused full school 35
day absence, the educational institution shall notify the Office of the State Superintendent of 36
Education which shall provide the parent with the truancy prevention resource guide created 37
pursuant to § 38-2602(b)(19); provided, that the parent has not received the truancy prevention 38
resource guide before the 5th unexcused absence.” 39
(c) Section 7(c) of Article II (D.C. Official Code §38-208) is amended by adding new 40
subparagraphs (D-F) to read as follows: 41
“(D) For minor students age 5 and older, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, 42
within 3 days of the 10th unexcused full day absence, the educational institution shall notify the 43
Office of the Attorney General Juvenile Division which shall send the minor student and their 44
caregiver a letter advising that the minor student is at risk of violating the school attendance 45
requirements under District law and may be subject to prosecution upon 15 unexcused full 46
school day absences. 47
“(E) After an educational institution has referred a minor student 5 years of age 48
through 13 years of age to the Child and Family Services Agency, if the Child and Family 49
Services Agency concludes there is not sufficient information to sustain an allegation of 50
educational neglect, the Child and Family Services Agency shall, within 3 days after its 51
conclusion, refer the matter to the Department of Human Services. Beginning with the 2026-2027 52
school year, the Department of Human Services shall, within 3 days after receiving a referral 53
from the Child and Family Services Agency, make an effort to contact the child’s parent or 54
guardian to identify challenges disrupting regular school attendance and may provide appropriate 55
social services for the support of school attendance outcomes. 56
“(F) Not later than August 31, 2027, The Child and Family Services Agency and 57

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Department of Human Services shall co-publish and deliver to the Council a report with the total 58
number of educational neglect reports referred to the Department of Human Services by the 59
Child and Family Services Agency and the outcomes of referrals, including number and type of 60
social services offered and provided and attendance outcomes.” 61
(d) A new Section 9 is added to read as follows: 62
“Section 9. Unified Absenteeism Reporting 63
“Not later than March 31, 2028, the Deputy Mayor for Education shall create a plan for a 64
unified absenteeism referral system, including D.C. Code revisions necessary for unification. 65
This unified absenteeism referral system shall refer all age groups to the Department of Human 66
Services, who, in collaboration with the Child and Family Services Agency, shall provide 67
appropriate social services for the support of school attendance outcomes.”. 68
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 69
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 70
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 71
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 72
Sec. 4. Effective date. 73
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 74
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 75
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 76
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 77
Columbia Register. 78