Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
345
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
345
BY
TRONE
GARRIOTT
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
compulsory
education,
including
by
1
modifying
provisions
related
to
absenteeism
and
truancy
2
policies
adopted
by
school
districts
and
school
attendance
3
requirements
related
to
children
who
are
undergoing
military
4
entrance
processing
or
who
are
engaged
in
military
service.
5
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
6
TLSB
2566XS
(3)
91
jda/jh
S.F.
345
Section
1.
Section
299.1,
subsection
3,
Code
2025,
is
1
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
3.
a.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
public
school
district
3
shall
adopt
a
policy
related
to
absenteeism
and
truancy.
The
4
policy
must
satisfy
all
of
the
following
requirements:
5
(1)
The
policy
must
allow
for
excused
absences
due
to
6
illness,
medical
appointments,
family
emergencies,
religious
7
observances,
and
preapproved
educational
opportunities.
8
(2)
The
policy
must
define
what
an
unexcused
absence
is,
the
9
criteria
the
board
of
directors
will
use
to
determine
whether
10
an
absence
is
unexcused,
and
the
penalties
associated
with
11
unexcused
absences.
12
(3)
The
policy
must
include
general
attendance
13
requirements.
14
(4)
The
policy
must
describe
the
interventions
the
board
15
of
directors
may
use
if
a
student
becomes
chronically
absent,
16
which
may
include
personalized
support
plans
and
how
the
board
17
of
directors
will
implement
such
plans
to
support
students
and
18
families.
19
b.
The
policy
may
contain
attendance
requirements
that
are
20
more
stringent
than
the
attendance
requirements
established
21
under
this
chapter
.
22
c.
The
board
of
directors
of
a
public
school
district
shall
23
review
attendance
data
and
make
modifications
to
the
policy
24
described
in
paragraph
“a”
when
appropriate.
25
Sec.
2.
Section
299.2,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
26
following
new
subsections:
27
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
7.
Who
is
a
military
applicant
undergoing
28
military
entrance
processing.
29
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
8.
Who
is
engaged
in
military
service.
30
Sec.
3.
Section
299.6,
subsection
1,
unnumbered
paragraph
31
1,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
32
Any
person
who
violates
the
terms
of
an
absenteeism
33
prevention
plan
entered
into
under
section
299.12
,
who
is
34
referred
for
prosecution
under
section
299.12
and
is
convicted
35
-1-
LSB
2566XS
(3)
91
jda/jh
1/
3
S.F.
345
of
a
violation
of
any
of
the
provisions
of
sections
299.1
1
through
299.5
,
who
violates
any
of
the
provisions
of
sections
2
299.1
through
299.5
,
or
who
refuses
to
participate
in
a
school
3
engagement
meeting
under
section
299.12
,
commits
a
public
4
offense.
5
Sec.
4.
REPEAL.
Sections
299.1C,
299.12,
and
299.13,
Code
6
2025,
are
repealed.
7
EXPLANATION
8
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
9
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
10
This
bill
relates
to
compulsory
education,
including
11
by
modifying
provisions
related
to
absenteeism
and
truancy
12
policies
adopted
by
school
districts
and
school
attendance
13
requirements
related
to
children
who
are
undergoing
military
14
entrance
processing
or
who
are
engaged
in
military
service.
15
Current
law
requires
the
board
of
directors
of
a
public
16
school
district
to
adopt
a
policy
related
to
absenteeism
and
17
truancy.
The
bill
provides
that
this
policy
must
allow
for
18
excused
absences
due
to
illness,
medical
appointments,
family
19
emergencies,
religious
observances,
and
preapproved
educational
20
opportunities.
The
policy
also
must
define
what
an
unexcused
21
absence
is,
the
criteria
the
board
of
directors
will
use
to
22
determine
whether
an
absence
is
unexcused,
and
the
penalties
23
associated
with
unexcused
absences.
Additionally,
the
policy
24
must
include
general
attendance
requirements.
Also,
the
policy
25
must
describe
the
interventions
the
board
of
directors
may
use
26
if
a
student
becomes
chronically
absent.
The
bill
requires
27
the
board
of
directors
of
a
public
school
district
to
review
28
attendance
data
and
make
modifications
to
the
policy
described
29
when
appropriate.
30
Current
law
requires
the
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
31
actual
custodian
of
a
child
who
is
of
compulsory
attendance
age
32
to
cause
the
child
to
attend
public
school
or
an
accredited
33
nonpublic
school,
or
place
the
child
under
competent
private
34
instruction
or
independent
private
instruction,
during
a
school
35
-2-
LSB
2566XS
(3)
91
jda/jh
2/
3
S.F.
345
year.
Under
current
law,
this
requirement
does
not
apply
to
1
any
child
who
has
completed
the
requirements
for
graduation
in
2
an
accredited
school
or
has
obtained
a
high
school
equivalency
3
diploma,
who
is
excused
for
sufficient
reason
by
any
court
4
of
record
or
judge,
who
is
attending
religious
services
or
5
receiving
religious
instructions,
who
is
attending
a
private
6
college
preparatory
school,
who
has
been
excused
under
7
Code
section
299.22
(when
deaf
or
hard-of-hearing
and
blind
8
children
excused),
or
who
is
exempted
under
Code
section
299.24
9
(religious
groups
exempted
from
school
standards).
The
bill
10
adds
additional
exemptions
for
children
who
are
undergoing
11
military
entrance
processing
or
who
are
engaged
in
military
12
service.
13
Current
Code
section
299.1C
provides
that
the
county
14
attorney
of
the
county
in
which
the
public
school’s
or
15
accredited
nonpublic
school’s
central
administrative
office
16
is
located
is
to
be
responsible
for
the
enforcement
of
Code
17
chapter
299
(compulsory
education).
Also,
current
Code
section
18
299.12
requires
notices
to
be
sent
to
county
attorneys
and
19
either
parents,
guardians,
or
legal
or
actual
custodians,
if
a
20
child
is
not
an
emancipated
minor,
or
the
child,
if
the
child
21
is
an
emancipated
minor,
when
a
child
becomes
chronically
22
absent.
Current
Code
section
299.12
also
requires
that
if
a
23
child
is
absent
from
school
for
at
least
15
percent
of
the
days
24
or
hours
in
a
grading
period,
a
school
official
is
required
to
25
initiate
a
school
engagement
meeting
with
the
child
and,
if
the
26
child
is
not
an
emancipated
minor,
with
the
child’s
parent,
27
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian.
Additionally,
current
28
Code
section
299.13
establishes
civil
enforcement
provisions
29
related
to
information
that
is
shared
under
Code
section
30
299.12.
The
bill
repeals
Code
sections
299.12
and
299.13
and
31
makes
conforming
changes,
including
by
repealing
Code
section
32
299.1C.
33
-3-
LSB
2566XS
(3)
91
jda/jh
3/
3