HOUSE BILL NO. 1434 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MOSLEY.
2243H.02I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To repeal section 167.034, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to absences from school, with a penalty provision.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 167.034, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu 2 thereof, to be known as section 167.034, to read as follows: 167.034. 1. [In any city not within a county where] If a child under the age of 2 seventeen required to attend school under section 167.031 accumulates fifteen or more 3 absences without an accompanying note of excuse from the child's physician during any 4 one school year, the child's school district shall schedule a meeting between the child's 5 school counselor, the child, and the child's parent, legal guardian, or other person 6 having charge, custody, or control of the child. At such meeting, the interested parties 7 shall develop a plan of action to prevent further unexcused absences by the child. 8 2. If the child's parent, legal guardian, or other person having charge, custody, 9 or control of the child fails to attend such meeting or the child accrues additional 10 unexcused absences in conflict with the plan of action, the school district shall report 11 such absences to the children's division [within ten business days of the fifteenth day of 12 absence] of the state department of social services within one week after such absences. 13 Such notification, which shall be in written form and retained in the student's school records, 14 shall include: 15 (1) The student's full name and parents' or guardians' full names; 16 (2) The addresses and phone numbers of the student and parents or guardians; 17 (3) The student's date of birth and age;
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 1434 2
18 (4) The student's current school and grade level; 19 (5) The student's current grades for all classes in which the student is enrolled; and 20 (6) The total number of days missed and specific days missed from school. 21 [2.] 3. Upon receipt of a report of a child's parent, legal guardian, or other person 22 having charge, custody, or control of the child or the absences of a child under subsection 23 2 of this section, the children's division shall conduct a home visit and notify the child's 24 parent [or], legal guardian, or other person having charge, custody, or control of the child 25 that the child has accumulated [fifteen or more] unexcused absences in conflict with the 26 plan of action and that such report [may] shall be subject to the educational neglect 27 provisions under section 210.145 if the child accrues additional unexcused absences. The 28 notification required under this section is required regardless of whether a student's parent or 29 guardian contacted the school and approved of the absences. The children's division shall 30 notify the school district that the home visit has occurred within one week after such 31 home visit. 32 4. If a child accrues additional unexcused absences after the home visit and 33 notification described in subsection 3 of this section, such absences shall be deemed a 34 violation of section 167.031 and the child's parent, legal guardian, or other person 35 having charge, custody, or control of the child shall be subject to the penalty established 36 in section 167.061. ✔
Statutes affected: