Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford

Filed: 3/13/2020

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 2332

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 2332 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Sections
526-8 and 34-4.5 as follows:
 
6    (105 ILCS 5/26-8)  (from Ch. 122, par. 26-8)
7    Sec. 26-8. Determination as to compliance - Complaint in
8circuit court. A truant officer or, in a school district that
9does not have a truant officer, the regional superintendent of
10schools or his or her designee, after giving the notice
11provided in Section 26-7, may shall determine whether the
12notice has been complied with. If 3 notices have been given and
13the notices have not been complied with, and if the persons
14having custody or control have knowingly and willfully wilfully
15permitted the truant behavior to continue, the regional
16superintendent of schools, or his or her designee, of the

 

 

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1school district where the child resides may shall conduct a
2truancy hearing. If the regional superintendent determines as a
3result of the hearing that the child is truant, the regional
4superintendent may shall, if age appropriate at the discretion
5of the regional superintendent, require the student to complete
620 to 40 hours of community service over a period of 90 days.
7If the truancy persists, the regional superintendent may shall
8(i) make complaint against the persons having custody or
9control to the state's attorney or in the circuit court in the
10county where such person resides for failure to comply with the
11provisions of this Article or (ii) conduct truancy mediation
12and encourage the student to enroll in a graduation incentives
13program under Section 26-16 of this Code. If, however, after
14giving the notice provided in Section 26-7 the truant behavior
15has continued, and the child is beyond the control of the
16parents, guardians or custodians, a truancy petition may shall
17be filed under the provisions of Article III of the Juvenile
18Court Act of 1987.
19(Source: P.A. 93-858, eff. 1-1-05; 93-1079, eff. 1-21-05.)
 
20    (105 ILCS 5/34-4.5)
21    Sec. 34-4.5. Chronic truants.
22    (a) Socio-emotional focused attendance intervention Office
23of Chronic Truant Adjudication. The chief executive officer or
24his or her designee board shall implement a socio-emotional
25focused attendance approach that targets the underlying causes

 

 

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1of chronic truancy. For each pupil identified as a chronic
2truant, as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code, the board may
3establish an individualized student attendance plan to
4identify and resolve the underlying cause of the pupil's
5chronic truancy. establish and implement an Office of Chronic
6Truant Adjudication, which shall be responsible for
7administratively adjudicating cases of chronic truancy and
8imposing appropriate sanctions. The board shall appoint or
9employ hearing officers to perform the adjudicatory functions
10of that Office. Principals and other appropriate personnel may
11refer pupils suspected of being chronic truants, as defined in
12Section 26-2a of this Code, to the Office of Chronic Truant
13Adjudication.
14    (b) Notices. Prior to the implementation of any truancy
15intervention services pursuant to subsection (d) of this
16Section Before any hearing may be held under subsection (c),
17the principal of the school attended by the pupil or the
18principal's designee shall notify the pupil's parent or
19guardian by personal visit, letter, or telephone of each
20unexcused absence of the pupil. After giving the parent or
21guardian notice of the tenth unexcused absence of the pupil,
22the principal or the principal's designee shall send the
23pupil's parent or guardian a letter, by certified mail, return
24receipt requested, notifying the parent or guardian that he or
25she is subjecting himself or herself to truancy intervention
26services a hearing procedure as provided under subsection (d)

 

 

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1(c) and clearly describing any and all possible penalties that
2may be imposed as provided for in subsections (d) and (e) of
3this Section.
4    (c) (Blank). Hearing. Once a pupil has been referred to the
5Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, a hearing shall be
6scheduled before an appointed hearing officer, and the pupil
7and the pupil's parents or guardian shall be notified by
8certified mail, return receipt requested stating the time,
9place, and purpose of the hearing. The hearing officer shall
10hold a hearing and render a written decision within 14 days
11determining whether the pupil is a chronic truant as defined in
12Section 26-2a of this Code and whether the parent or guardian
13took reasonable steps to assure the pupil's attendance at
14school. The hearing shall be private unless a public hearing is
15requested by the pupil's parent or guardian, and the pupil may
16be present at the hearing with a representative in addition to
17the pupil's parent or guardian. The board shall present
18evidence of the pupil's truancy, and the pupil and the parent
19or guardian or representative of the pupil may cross examine
20witnesses, present witnesses and evidence, and present
21defenses to the charges. All testimony at the hearing shall be
22taken under oath administered by the hearing officer. The
23decision of the hearing officer shall constitute an
24"administrative decision" for purposes of judicial review
25under the Administrative Review Law.
26    (d) Truancy intervention services Penalties. The chief

 

 

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1executive officer or the chief executive officer's designee
2hearing officer may require the pupil or the pupil's parent or
3guardian or both the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian
4to do any or all of the following: perform reasonable school or
5community services for a period not to exceed 30 days; complete
6a parenting education program; obtain counseling or other
7supportive services; and comply with an individualized
8educational plan or service plan as provided by appropriate
9school officials. If the parent or guardian of the chronic
10truant shows that he or she took reasonable steps to ensure
11insure attendance of the pupil at school, he or she shall not
12be required to perform services.
13    (e) Non-compliance with services sanctions.
14Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, if
15If a pupil determined by the chief executive officer or the
16chief executive officer's designee a hearing officer to be a
17chronic truant or the parent or guardian of the pupil fails to
18fully participate in the services offered comply with the
19sanctions ordered by the hearing officer under subsection (d)
20(c) of this Section, the chief executive officer or the chief
21executive officer's designee Office of Chronic Truant
22Adjudication may refer the matter to the Department of Human
23Services, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, or
24any other applicable organization or State agency for
25socio-emotional based intervention and prevention services.
26Additionally, if the circumstances regarding a pupil

 

 

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1identified as a chronic truant reasonably indicate that the
2pupil may be subject to abuse or neglect, apart from truancy,
3the chief executive officer or his or her designee must report
4any findings that support suspected abuse or neglect to the
5Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to the
6Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. A State agency that
7receives a referral may enter into a data sharing agreement
8with the school district to share applicable student referral
9and case data. A State agency that receives a referral from the
10school district shall implement an intake process that may
11include a consent form that allows the agency to share
12information with the school district. the State's Attorney for
13prosecution under Section 3-33.5 of the Juvenile Court Act of
141987.
15    (f) Limitation on applicability. Nothing in this Section
16shall be construed to apply to a parent or guardian of a pupil
17not required to attend a public school pursuant to Section
1826-1.
19(Source: P.A. 94-1011, eff. 7-7-06.)
 
20    Section 10. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by
21changing Section 3-33.5 as follows:
 
22    (705 ILCS 405/3-33.5)
23    Sec. 3-33.5. Truant minors in need of supervision.
24    (a) Definition. A minor who is reported by the office of

 

 

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1the regional superintendent of schools, or, in cities of over
2500,000 inhabitants, by the Office of Chronic Truant
3Adjudication, as a chronic truant may be subject to a petition
4for adjudication and adjudged a truant minor in need of
5supervision, provided that prior to the filing of the petition,
6the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the
7Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or a community truancy
8review board certifies that the local school has provided
9appropriate truancy intervention services to the truant minor
10and his or her family. For purposes of this Section, "truancy
11intervention services" means services designed to assist the
12minor's return to an educational program, and includes but is
13not limited to: assessments, counseling, mental health
14services, shelter, optional and alternative education
15programs, tutoring, and educational advocacy. If, after review
16by the regional office of education, the Office of Chronic
17Truant Adjudication, or community truancy review board, it is
18determined the local school did not provide the appropriate
19interventions, then the minor shall be referred to a
20comprehensive community based youth service agency for truancy
21intervention services. If the comprehensive community based
22youth service agency is incapable to provide intervention
23services, then this requirement for services is not applicable.
24The comprehensive community based youth service agency shall
25submit reports to the office of the regional superintendent of
26schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or truancy

 

 

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1review board within 20, 40, and 80 school days of the initial
2referral or at any other time requested by the office of the
3regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic
4Truant Adjudication, or truancy review board, which reports
5each shall certify the date of the minor's referral and the
6extent of the minor's progress and participation in truancy
7intervention services provided by the comprehensive community
8based youth service agency. In addition, if, after referral by
9the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the
10Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or community truancy
11review board, the minor declines or refuses to fully
12participate in truancy intervention services provided by the
13comprehensive community based youth service agency, then the
14agency shall immediately certify such facts to the office of
15the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic
16Truant Adjudication, or community truancy review board.
17    (a-1) There is a rebuttable presumption that a chronic
18truant is a truant minor in need of supervision.
19    (a-2) There is a rebuttable presumption that school records
20of a minor's attendance at school are authentic.
21    (a-3) For purposes of this Section, "chronic truant" has
22the meaning ascribed to it in Section 26-2a of the School Code.
23    (a-4) For purposes of this Section, a "community truancy
24review board" is a local community based board comprised of but
25not limited to: representatives from local comprehensive
26community based youth service agencies, representatives from

 

 

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1court service agencies, representatives from local schools,
2representatives from health service agencies, and
3representatives from local professional and community
4organizations as deemed appropriate by the office of the
5regional superintendent of schools, or, in cities of over
6500,000 inhabitants, by the Office of Chronic Truant
7Adjudication. The regional superintendent of schools, or, in
8cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, the Office of Chronic
9Truant Adjudication, must approve the establishment and
10organization of a community truancy review board, and the
11regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee, or,
12in cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, the general
13superintendent of schools or his or her designee, shall chair
14the board.
15    (a-5) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to create
16a private cause of action or right of recovery against a
17regional office of education or the Office of Chronic Truant
18Adjudication, its superintendent, or its staff with respect to
19truancy intervention services where the determination to
20provide the services is made in good faith.
21    (b) Kinds of dispositional orders. A minor found to be a
22truant minor in need of supervision may be:
23        (1) committed to the appropriate regional
24    superintendent of schools for a student assistance team
25    staffing, a service plan, or referral to a comprehensive
26    community based youth service agency;

 

 

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1        (2) required to comply with a service plan as
2    specifically provided by the appropriate regional
3    superintendent of schools;
4        (3) ordered to obtain counseling or other supportive
5    services;
6        (4) (blank); subject to a fine in an amount in excess
7    of $5, but not exceeding $100, and each day of absence
8    without valid cause as defined in Section 26-2a of The
9    School Code is a separate offense;
10        (5) required to perform some reasonable public service
11    work such as, but not limited to, the picking up of litter
12    in public parks or along public highways or the maintenance
13    of public facilities; or
14        (6) (blank). subject to having his or her driver's
15    license or driving privilege suspended for a period of time
16    as determined by the court but only until he or she attains
17    18 years of age.
18    A dispositional order may include a fine, public service,
19or suspension of a driver's license or privilege only if the
20court has made an express written finding that a truancy
21prevention program has been offered by the school, regional
22superintendent of schools, or a comprehensive community based
23youth service agency to the truant minor in need of
24supervision.
25    (c) Orders entered under this Section may be enforced by
26contempt proceedings.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 97-975, eff. 8-17-12.)".