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,,22An Act to amend 118.16 (1) (a) and 118.16 (1) (c) of the statutes; relating to: definitions related to truancy. AB1025,,33Analysis 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.
AB1025,,44The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows: AB1025,15Section 1. 118.16 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read: AB1025,,66118.16 (1) (a) “Habitual truant” means a pupil who is absent from school without an acceptable excuse under sub. (4) and s. 118.15 for part or all of more than one-third of a day for 5 or more days on which school is held during a school semester. AB1025,27Section 2. 118.16 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read: AB1025,,88118.16 (1) (c) “Truancy” means any absence of part or all that is more than one-third of one or more days from school during which the school attendance officer, principal, or teacher has not been notified of the legal cause of such absence by the parent or guardian of the absent pupil, and also means intermittent attendance carried on for the purpose of defeating the intent of s. 118.15. AB1025,,1010(1) This act takes effect on July 1, 2024.
