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
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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 reaching six five 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 of six five 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 of six
2 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. The Notwithstanding 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 4 No child shall be admitted to school work for the year
3 5 immediately preceding the first grade The 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 before the
3 8 fifteenth of September 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 of six five 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
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