Senate
File
277
-
Enrolled
Senate
File
277
AN
ACT
MODIFYING
PROVISIONS
RELATED
TO
COMPULSORY
EDUCATION,
TRUANCY,
AND
CHRONIC
ABSENTEEISM.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
Section
256.9,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subsection:
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
69.
In
consultation
with
the
Iowa
county
attorneys
association,
develop
and
distribute
to
county
attorneys,
school
districts,
and
accredited
nonpublic
schools
a
model
policy
that
county
attorneys
may
reference
when
determining
whether
and
to
what
extent
to
enforce
the
provisions
of
chapter
299.
Sec.
2.
Section
299.1,
subsection
4,
paragraph
b,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraphs:
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(7)
Who
is
a
military
applicant
undergoing
military
entrance
processing.
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(8)
Who
is
engaged
in
military
service.
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(9)
Who
is
traveling
to
attend
a
funeral.
Senate
File
277,
p.
2
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(10)
Who
is
traveling
to
attend
a
wedding.
Sec.
3.
Section
299.1,
subsection
4,
Code
2025,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
c.
The
policy
or
rules
adopted
by
the
board
of
directors
of
a
public
school
district
pursuant
to
paragraph
“a”
must
describe
how
the
exceptions
described
in
paragraph
“b”
may
be
met
by
a
child
and
must
give
reasonable
consideration
to
travel
time.
Sec.
4.
Section
299.12,
subsection
2,
paragraph
a,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
a.
When
a
child
becomes
chronically
absent,
a
school
official
shall
send
a
notice
by
ordinary
mail
or
electronic
mail
to
the
county
attorney
of
the
county
in
which
the
public
school’s
central
administrative
office
is
located,
and
a
notice
by
certified
mail
to
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian
of
the
child,
if
the
child
is
not
an
emancipated
minor,
or
to
the
child,
if
the
child
is
an
emancipated
minor,
that
includes
information
related
to
the
child’s
absences
from
school
and
the
policies
and
disciplinary
processes
associated
with
additional
absences.
The
notice
the
school
official
sends
to
the
child’s
parent,
guardian,
or
legal
or
actual
custodian
of
the
child,
if
the
child
is
not
an
emancipated
minor,
or
to
the
child,
if
the
child
is
an
emancipated
minor,
may
be
sent
by
ordinary
mail,
electronic
mail,
or
electronic
message,
or
may
be
delivered
in
person.
The
school
shall
maintain
a
copy
of
the
notice
until
the
child
graduates,
turns
twenty-one
years
of
age,
or
is
no
longer
enrolled
in
the
school,
whichever
occurs
first.
Sec.
5.
Section
299.12,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
subparagraph
(1),
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
(1)
If
a
child
is
absent
from
school
for
greater
than
or
equal
to
fifteen
percent
of
the
days
or
hours
in
the
grading
period,
a
school
official
shall
attempt
to
find
the
cause
for
the
child’s
absences
and
.
If
the
school
official
determines
that
the
child’s
absences
are
negatively
affecting
the
child’s
academic
progress,
the
school
official
shall
initiate
and
participate
in
a
school
engagement
meeting.
The
purpose
of
the
school
engagement
meeting
is
to
identify
the
child’s
barriers
Senate
File
277,
p.
3
to
attendance
and
the
interventions
that
may
be
used
to
improve
the
child’s
attendance.
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
Senate
and
is
known
as
Senate
File
277,
Ninety-first
General
Assembly.
______________________________
W.
CHARLES
SMITHSON
Secretary
of
the
Senate
Approved
_______________,
2025
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor