Senate Study Bill 1077 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON EVANS) A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to compulsory education, 1 truancy, and chronic absenteeism. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1556XC (5) 91 jda/jh

S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 69. In consultation with the Iowa 3 county attorneys association, develop and distribute to 4 county attorneys, school districts, and accredited nonpublic 5 schools a model policy that county attorneys may reference 6 when determining whether and to what extent to enforce the 7 provisions of chapter 299. 8 Sec. 2. Section 299.1, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 2025, 9 is amended by adding the following new subparagraphs: 10 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (7) Who is a military applicant 11 undergoing military entrance processing. 12 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (8) Who is engaged in military service. 13 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (9) Who is traveling to attend a funeral. 14 NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (10) Who is traveling to attend a 15 wedding. 16 Sec. 3. Section 299.1, subsection 4, Code 2025, is amended 17 by adding the following new paragraph: 18 NEW PARAGRAPH . c. The policy or rules adopted by the board 19 of directors of a public school district pursuant to paragraph 20 “a” must describe how the exceptions described in paragraph “b” 21 may be met by a child and must give reasonable consideration 22 to travel time. 23 Sec. 4. Section 299.12, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 24 2025, is amended to read as follows: 25 a. When a child becomes chronically absent, a school 26 official shall send a notice by ordinary mail or electronic 27 mail to the county attorney of the county in which the public 28 school’s central administrative office is located, and a 29 notice by certified mail to the child’s parent, guardian, or 30 legal or actual custodian of the child, if the child is not 31 an emancipated minor, or to the child, if the child is an 32 emancipated minor, that includes information related to the 33 child’s absences from school and the policies and disciplinary 34 processes associated with additional absences. The notice 35 -1- LSB 1556XC (5) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

S.F. _____ the school official sends to the child’s parent, guardian, 1 or legal or actual custodian of the child, if the child is 2 not an emancipated minor, or to the child, if the child is an 3 emancipated minor, may be sent by ordinary mail, electronic 4 mail, or electronic message, or may be delivered in person. 5 The school shall maintain a copy of the notice until the child 6 graduates, turns twenty-one years of age, or is no longer 7 enrolled in the school, whichever occurs first. 8 Sec. 5. Section 299.12, subsection 3, paragraph a, 9 subparagraph (1), Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 10 (1) If a child is absent from school for greater than or 11 equal to fifteen percent of the days or hours in the grading 12 period, a school official shall attempt to find the cause for 13 the child’s absences and . If the school official determines 14 that the child’s absences are negatively affecting the child’s 15 academic progress, the school official shall initiate and 16 participate in a school engagement meeting. The purpose of the 17 school engagement meeting is to identify the child’s barriers 18 to attendance and the interventions that may be used to improve 19 the child’s attendance. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill modifies provisions related to compulsory 24 education, truancy, and chronic absenteeism. 25 The bill requires the director of the department of 26 education to develop, in consultation with the Iowa county 27 attorneys association, a model policy that county attorneys 28 may reference when determining whether and to what extent 29 to enforce the provisions of Code chapter 299 (compulsory 30 education). The bill also requires the director to distribute 31 the model policy to county attorneys, school districts, and 32 accredited nonpublic schools. 33 Current law requires the board of directors of a public 34 school district to adopt a policy or rules relating to children 35 -2- LSB 1556XC (5) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

S.F. _____ who are chronically absent. Current law establishes exceptions 1 to the policy or rules for children taking part in certain 2 specified activities. The bill adds undergoing military 3 entrance processing, engaging in military service, traveling to 4 attend a funeral, and traveling to attend a wedding to the list 5 of specified activities. Absences related to such activities 6 are not included when determining whether a child of compulsory 7 attendance age is deemed to be a truant. The bill provides the 8 policy or rules must describe how the exceptions may be met by 9 a child and must give reasonable consideration to travel time. 10 Current law requires that when a child becomes chronically 11 absent, a school official is required to send a notice by 12 certified mail to the child’s parent, guardian, or legal 13 or actual custodian of the child, if the child is not an 14 emancipated minor, or to the child, if the child is an 15 emancipated minor, that includes information related to the 16 child’s absences from school and the policies and disciplinary 17 processes associated with additional absences. The bill 18 provides that a school official may send such notice by 19 ordinary mail, electronic mail, or electronic message, or may 20 deliver the notice in person. The bill requires the public 21 school to maintain a copy of the notice. 22 Current law provides that if a child is absent from school 23 for greater than or equal to 15 percent of the days or hours in 24 the grading period, a school official is required to attempt 25 to find the cause for the child’s absences and initiate 26 and participate in a school engagement meeting. The bill 27 provides that a school official is only required to initiate 28 and participate in a school engagement meeting if the school 29 official determines that the child’s absences are negatively 30 affecting the child’s academic progress. 31 -3- LSB 1556XC (5) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3