HB3179 EngrossedLRB097 07424 NHT 47533 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 subject to 
8compulsory school
attendance and who is absent without valid 
9cause from such attendance for
a school day or portion thereof.
10    "Valid cause" for absence shall be illness, observance of a 
11religious
holiday, death in the immediate family,
family 
12emergency, and shall include such other situations beyond the 
13control
of the student as determined by the board of education 
14in each district,
or such other circumstances which cause 
15reasonable concern to the parent
for the safety or health of 
16the student.
17    "Chronic or habitual truant" shall be defined as a child 
18who is subject to compulsory
school attendance and who is 
19absent without valid cause from such attendance
for 5% 10% or 
20more of the previous 180 regular attendance days.
21    "Truant minor" is defined as a chronic truant to whom 
22supportive
services, including prevention, diagnostic, 
23intervention and remedial
services, alternative programs and 
 
 
HB3179 Engrossed- 2 -LRB097 07424 NHT 47533 b

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