Bill > HB1109

This bill reforms Oklahoma's truancy laws by establishing a more supportive and progressive approach to addressing student absences. The legislation prohibits detaining students solely for failing to attend school and requires school districts to create comprehensive, multi-tiered truancy intervention plans that prioritize support over punishment. Under the new law, when a student accumulates five unexcused absences, the school must send written notice to parents and implement a first-tier intervention that includes a conference with the student, parent, school representative, and potentially special education or homeless liaison staff. The intervention plan must create an attendance contract with specific expectations and follow-up meetings. Subsequent tiers involve individualized assessments, counseling referrals, and community-based services, with a strict prohibition on using suspension as an intervention method. The bill allows reporting absences to court only after exhausting intervention strategies and documenting a parent's unwillingness to cooperate. Additionally, the legislation modifies existing legal penalties by adding an option to waive fines if parents successfully complete court-mandated conditions and the child substantially improves school attendance. The law aims to address underlying causes of truancy and provide supportive solutions rather than punitive measures, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Justice

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1109&Session=2600