The bill amends various sections of the Texas Education Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure to address truancy and the responsibilities of parents regarding their children's school attendance. It establishes that a defendant can discharge fines through community service, with a specific provision that those fined for truancy offenses under Section 25.093 will discharge $100 for every six hours of community service performed, as opposed to the standard eight hours. Additionally, if a school district has previously implemented truancy prevention measures and a student continues to engage in truancy, the district can refer the student directly to truancy court without reapplying those measures.

Furthermore, the bill introduces a new requirement for school districts to submit an annual attendance report detailing the number of students who have excessive unexcused absences, those who received truancy prevention measures, and those referred to truancy court. It also allows parents convicted of contributing to their child's nonattendance to petition for an order of nondisclosure of their criminal history under certain conditions, such as the child reaching the age of 21 or graduating from high school. The changes will take effect starting September 1, 2025, with specific provisions applying to offenses committed on or after the effective date.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 25.0915, Education Code 25.093, Government Code 411.074 (Government Code 411, Education Code 25)
House Committee Report: Education Code 25.0915, Education Code 25.093, Government Code 411.074 (Government Code 411, Education Code 25)