HB5795 EngrossedLRB100 19595 AXK 34866 b


  
1    AN ACT concerning education.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The School Code is amended  by changing Section 
526-2a as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/26-2a)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2a)
7    Sec. 26-2a. A "truant" is defined as a child who is subject 
8to compulsory school
attendance and who is absent without valid 
9cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for 
10more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days
a 
11school day or portion thereof.
12    "Valid cause" for absence shall be illness, observance of a 
13religious
holiday, death in the immediate family,
family 
14emergency, and shall include such other situations beyond the 
15control
of the student as determined by the board of education 
16in each district,
or such other circumstances which cause 
17reasonable concern to the parent
for the safety or health of 
18the student.
19    "Chronic or habitual truant" shall be defined as a child 
20who is subject to compulsory
school attendance and who is 
21absent without valid cause from such attendance
for 5% or more 
22of the previous 180 regular attendance days.
23    "Truant minor" is defined as a chronic truant to whom 
 
 
HB5795 Engrossed- 2 -LRB100 19595 AXK 34866 b

1supportive
services, including prevention, diagnostic, 
2intervention and remedial
services, alternative programs and 
3other school and community resources
have been provided and 
4have failed to result in the cessation of chronic
truancy, or 
5have been offered and refused.
6    A "dropout" is defined as any child enrolled in grades 9 
7through 12 whose
name has been removed from the district 
8enrollment roster for any reason
other than the student's 
9death, extended illness, removal for medical non-compliance, 
10expulsion, aging out, graduation, or completion of a
program of 
11studies and who has not transferred to another public or 
12private school and is not known to be home-schooled by his or 
13her parents or guardians or continuing school in another 
14country.
15    "Religion" for the purposes of this Article, includes all 
16aspects of
religious observance and practice, as well as 
17belief.
18(Source: P.A. 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10; 97-218, eff. 7-28-11.)
 
 
19    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 
202018.