CORRECTED COPY
LRB-5485/1
FFK:skw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
January 29, 2024 - Introduced by Representatives Nedweski, Drake, Binsfeld,
Dittrich, Donovan, Krug, Maxey, Melotik, Murphy, Mursau, Myers,
O'Connor, Schmidt, Sinicki, Snyder, Stubbs and Subeck, cosponsored by
Senator Feyen. Referred to Committee on Education.
AB1025,1,2
1An Act to amend 118.16 (1) (a) and 118.16 (1) (c) of the statutes;
relating to:
2definitions related to truancy.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
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.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB1025,1
1Section
1. 118.16 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1025,2,42
118.16
(1) (a) “Habitual truant" means a pupil who is absent from school
3without an acceptable excuse under sub. (4) and s. 118.15 for
part or all of more than
4one-third of a day for 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester.
AB1025,2
5Section
2. 118.16 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB1025,2,106
118.16
(1) (c) “Truancy" means any absence
of part or all that is more than
7one-third of one or more days from school during which the school attendance officer,
8principal
, or teacher has not been notified of the legal cause of such absence by the
9parent or guardian of the absent pupil, and also means intermittent attendance
10carried on for the purpose of defeating the intent of s. 118.15.
AB1025,2,1212
(1)
This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
