This bill amends the Nebraska Juvenile Code to address truancy by establishing a new definition for "habitually truant from school." A child aged thirteen to seventeen will be considered habitually truant if they have twenty or more unexcused absences in a school year and a documented loss of educational attainment. The bill also modifies juvenile court jurisdiction, allowing a defense against adjudication for children with fewer than twenty unexcused absences when certain exclusions, such as illness or lack of transportation, are taken into account.

Additionally, the bill requires school districts to develop and annually review attendance policies in collaboration with county attorneys, focusing on addressing excessive absences and providing necessary services before a child reaches twenty unexcused absences. It emphasizes the importance of communication among school officials, families, and community resources to improve attendance. A significant change is that schools may report to the county attorney if a child has twenty or more unexcused absences, along with a documented loss of educational attainment, replacing the previous threshold. The bill also mandates written notification to families before referrals to the county attorney and clarifies that illnesses will not be grounds for referral, while allowing county attorney involvement at any stage of addressing absenteeism. Certain sections of existing law are repealed to reflect these changes in managing absenteeism cases.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43-245, 43-247, 43-276, 79-206, 79-209