Senate File 6 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY HECKROTH Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act lowering the compulsory school attendance age and 2 providing for properly related matters. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1079XS 83 5 kh/nh/5 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 135.17, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 1 2 2009, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 a. Except as provided in paragraphs "c" and "d", the 1 4 parent or guardian of a child enrolled in elementary school 1 5 shall provide evidence to the school district or accredited 1 6 nonpublic elementary school in which the child is enrolled of 1 7 the child having, no earlier than three years of age but prior 1 8 to reachingsixfive years of age, at a minimum, a dental 1 9 screening performed by a licensed physician as defined in 1 10 chapter 148 or 150, a nurse licensed under chapter 152, a 1 11 licensed physician assistant as defined in section 148C.1, or 1 12 a licensed dental hygienist or dentist as defined in chapter 1 13 153. Except as provided in paragraphs "c" and "d", the parent 1 14 or guardian of a child enrolled in high school shall provide 1 15 evidence to the school district or accredited nonpublic high 1 16 school in which the child is enrolled of the child having, at 1 17 a minimum, a dental screening performed within the prior year 1 18 by a licensed dental hygienist or dentist as defined in 1 19 chapter 153. A school district or accredited nonpublic school 1 20 shall provide access to a process to complete the screenings 1 21 described in this paragraph as appropriate. 1 22 Sec. 2. Section 135.102, subsection 7, Code 2009, is 1 23 amended to read as follows: 1 24 7. Implementation of a requirement that children receive a 1 25 blood lead test prior to the age ofsixfive and before 1 26 enrolling in any elementary school in Iowa in accordance with 1 27 section 135.105D. 1 28 Sec. 3. Section 135.105D, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 1 29 2009, is amended to read as follows: 1 30 a. A parent or guardian of a child under the age of two is 1 31 strongly encouraged to have the child tested for elevated 1 32 blood lead levels by the age of two. Except as provided in 1 33 paragraph "b" and subsection 4, a parent or guardian shall 1 34 provide evidence to the school district elementary attendance 1 35 center or the accredited nonpublic elementary school in which 2 1 the parent's or guardian's child is enrolled that the child 2 2 was tested for elevated blood lead levels by the age ofsix2 3 five according to recommendations provided by the department. 2 4 Sec. 4. Section 279.9A, Code 2009, is amended to read as 2 5 follows: 2 6 279.9A INFORMATION SHARING. 2 7 The rules referred to in section 279.9 shall provide that 2 8 upon the request of school officials of a school to which the 2 9 student seeks to transfer or has transferred, school officials 2 10 of the sending school shall provide an accurate record of any 2 11 exclusion, suspension, or expulsion actions taken, and the 2 12 basis for those actions taken, against the student under 2 13 sections 279.9, 280.19A, 282.3, 282.4, and 282.5. The 2 14 designated representative shall disclose this information only 2 15 to those school employees whose duties require them to be 2 16 involved with the student. For purposes of this section, 2 17 "school employees" means persons employed by a nonpublic 2 18 school or school district, or any area education agency staff 2 19 member who provides services to a school or school district. 2 20 Sec. 5. Section 282.3, subsection 1, Code 2009, is amended 2 21 to read as follows: 2 22 1.TheNotwithstanding section 299.1A, the board of 2 23 directors of a school district may exclude from school 2 24 children under the age of six years when in its judgment such 2 25 children are not sufficiently mature to be benefited by 2 26 regular instruction, or any child who is found to be 2 27 physically or mentally unable to attend school under section 2 28 299.5, or whose presence in school has been found to be 2 29 injurious to the health of other pupils, or is efficiently 2 30 taught for the scholastic year at a state institution. 2 31 However, the board shall provide special education programs 2 32 and services under chapters 256B, 257, and 273 for all 2 33 children requiring special education. 2 34 Sec. 6. Section 282.3, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraphs 2 35 1, 2, and 4, Code 2009, are amended by striking the unnumbered 3 1 paragraphs. 3 2 Sec. 7. Section 282.3, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraph 3 3 3, Code 2009, is amended to read as follows: 3 4No child shall be admitted to school work for the year 3 5 immediately preceding the first gradeThe board of directors 3 6 of a school district shall not admit a child to kindergarten 3 7 unless the child is five years of age on or beforethe 3 8 fifteenth ofSeptember 15 of the current school year. 3 9 Sec. 8. Section 282.3, subsection 3, Code 2009, is amended 3 10 by striking the subsection. 3 11 Sec. 9. Section 299.1, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2009, 3 12 is amended to read as follows: 3 13 Except as provided in section 299.2 or when the board of 3 14 directors excludes a child from school as provided in section 3 15 282.3, subsection 1, the parent, guardian, or legal or actual 3 16 custodian of a child who is of compulsory attendance age, 3 17 shall cause the child to attend some public school, an 3 18 accredited nonpublic school, or competent private instruction 3 19 in accordance with the provisions of chapter 299A, during a 3 20 school year, as defined under section 279.10. The board of 3 21 directors of a public school district or the governing body of 3 22 an accredited nonpublic school shall set the number of days of 3 23 required attendance for the schools under its control. 3 24 Sec. 10. Section 299.1A, Code 2009, is amended to read as 3 25 follows: 3 26 299.1A COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AGE. 3 27 A child who has reached the age ofsixfive and is under 3 28 sixteen years of age by September 15 is of compulsory 3 29 attendance age. However, if a child enrolled in a school 3 30 district or accredited nonpublic school reaches the age of 3 31 sixteen on or after September 15, the child remains of 3 32 compulsory age until the end of the regular school calendar. 3 33 EXPLANATION 3 34 This bill lowers the compulsory school attendance age from 3 35 age six to age five. The bill makes a number of conforming 4 1 changes, including the elimination of language establishing 4 2 the conditions under which a child may be admitted to 4 3 kindergarten and first grade in a public school. The bill 4 4 retains language authorizing a school board to exclude a child 4 5 under six from school if the board determines the child is 4 6 unable to benefit from instruction. 4 7 With the lowering of the compulsory attendance age, the 4 8 bill also requires the Iowa department of public health to 4 9 implement the requirement that children receive a blood lead 4 10 test prior to the age of five, rather than six and that the 4 11 parent or guardian of a child enrolled in elementary school 4 12 provide evidence to the school district that the child, prior 4 13 to the age of five rather than six, had a dental screening. 4 14 The requirement that children receive the test before the time 4 15 of enrollment remains unchanged. 4 16 The bill includes a technical change in Code section 279.9A 4 17 to state that the actions which may be taken by school 4 18 officials under the Code sections referenced in the statute 4 19 include the exclusion of a student. 4 20 LSB 1079XS 83 4 21 kh/nh/5