AB 1025

This bill changes the definition of habitual truant to mean a pupil who is absent

without an acceptable excuse for at least one-third of a day for at least five school

days during a semester. Under current law, the definition is a pupil who is absent

without an acceptable excuse for part or all of a day for at least five school days during

a semester. Current law requires the school attendance officer for a school district

to notify a pupil's parent or guardian when a child initially becomes a habitual truant

and include in the notice various information related to compulsory school

attendance. Current law also authorizes counties, cities, villages, and towns to enact

an ordinance that prohibits individuals who are younger than 18 years of age from

being habitual truants. Such ordinances may provide for various dispositions listed

in current law, including the suspension of the child's driver's license; an order for

the child to participate in counseling, a supervised work program, or other

community service work; an order for the child's parent, guardian, or legal custodian

to participate in counseling at their own expense or to attend school with the child;

an order to attend school; and a forfeiture.

The bill also changes the definition of truancy to mean an absence that is more

than one-third of one or more days from school for which the school is not notified

of a legal cause for the absence by the pupil's parent or legal guardian. Under current

law, truancy means an absence of part or all of one or more days from school for which

the school is not notified of a legal cause for the absence by the pupil's parent or legal

guardian.