The proposed bill HB2748 amends Arizona law to prohibit charter schools and school districts from suspending students solely for absenteeism, a significant departure from current law that allows such suspensions as a penalty for excessive absenteeism. The bill explicitly removes suspension from the list of penalties for absenteeism, ensuring that students cannot be suspended for being absent, regardless of whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Additionally, it mandates that all disciplinary actions must not include suspension based solely on a student's absenteeism, reinforcing the protection of students from penalties related to attendance issues.

Furthermore, the bill introduces technical changes, such as replacing the term "pupil" with "student" for consistency, and clarifies that disciplinary actions must be for good cause and not solely based on absenteeism. It also emphasizes that rules regarding discipline must be free from bias based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or ancestry, and outlines the responsibilities of school principals in communicating these rules to students and parents. Overall, the bill aims to establish a more equitable and clear framework for student discipline in Arizona schools.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-186.02, 15-843