Bill > LB492

This bill modifies Nebraska's laws regarding juvenile court jurisdiction and compulsory school attendance, with a specific focus on addressing habitual truancy. The legislation provides a clearer definition of "habitually truant," which now means a child between 13 and 17 years old who has accumulated 20 or more unexcused absences in a school year and has experienced a documented loss of educational attainment. The bill introduces new provisions that allow certain absences to be excluded from truancy calculations, such as absences due to lack of transportation, school's failure to provide necessary interventions, or physical/mental illness excused by a parent. Before filing a truancy petition, schools must make reasonable efforts to refer the juvenile and family to community-based resources and develop a collaborative plan to address attendance barriers. The plan may include services like educational counseling, family counseling, health assessments, and referrals to community agencies. Schools can only report a case to the county attorney after documenting their intervention efforts and determining that the collaborative plan has been unsuccessful. The bill aims to provide a more supportive and rehabilitative approach to addressing student absenteeism, emphasizing intervention and support over punitive measures.

Justice

https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59463