HF 204 (LSB 1939YH (3) 85)

HOUSE FILE 204

BY  KAJTAZOVIC

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to the compulsory age of attendance, to penalties for failure to attend school, and to dropout prevention efforts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 299.1A, subsection 1, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  Except as provided in subsection 2, a child who has reached the age of six and is under sixteen
 
eighteen years of age by September 15 is of compulsory attendance age. However, if a child enrolled in a school district or accredited nonpublic school reaches the age of sixteen
 
eighteen on or after September 15, the child remains of compulsory age until the end of the regular school calendar.
    Sec. 2.  Section 299.1B, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   299.1B  Failure to attend —— driver’s license.
   A person who
 
is of compulsory attendance age, is not exempt under section 299.2, and does not attend a public school, an accredited nonpublic school, competent private instruction in accordance with the provisions of chapter 299A, an alternative school, or adult education classes shall not receive an intermediate or full driver’s license until age eighteen.
    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  299.14  School district dropout prevention measures.
   1.  The board of directors of each school district shall take every opportunity to prevent students from dropping out of school. Actions which a school district may take to prevent students from dropping out of school include but are not limited to general education interventions, alternative program placement, alternative school placement, provision of support and supplemental services, individual and family intervention or therapy, truancy mediation, and coordination with other student support services.
   2.  In addition to meeting the budget requirements of section 257.41, the board of directors of each school district shall make every effort to align and maximize all of the funding streams that may be used to support students who are at risk of dropping out of school.
    Sec. 4.  Section 321.213B, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   321.213B  Suspension for failure to attend.
   1.  The department shall establish procedures by rule for suspending the license of a juvenile who has been issued a driver’s license and is not in compliance with the requirements of section 299.1B or issuing the juvenile a restricted license under section 321.178.
   2.  Upon receipt of proof of high school graduation from a person whose intermediate or full driver’s license was suspended or revoked pursuant to section 299.1B, the department may reinstate the person’s license. Notwithstanding section 321.191, subsection 8, the fee for reinstatement of a license pursuant to this subsection shall be twenty-five dollars.
    Sec. 5.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under section 257.16. This specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed to meet all of the state funding-related requirements of section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
EXPLANATION
   This bill relates to compulsory education standards, penalties, and dropout prevention efforts.
   The bill raises the compulsory school attendance age from 16 to 18. Each school district must make every effort to prevent students from dropping out of school, and is directed to align and maximize all of the funding streams that may be used to support students who are at risk of dropping out of school.
   The department of transportation is directed to reinstate, upon receipt of proof of high school graduation from a person whose intermediate or full driver’s license was suspended or revoked because the person was truant, the person’s license for a fee of $25, notwithstanding a current Code provision that permits the department to charge a fee of $20 for reinstatement of a license. The bill makes a technical change to specify that the current Code provision which prohibits licensure for failure to attend school or classes applies only to persons who are not exempt from the provision establishing the compulsory attendance age.
   The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid received by the school district under section 257.16. The specification is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state mandate funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.