Bill Text: IL HB2762 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Amended

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Bill Title: Amends the School Code. Lowers the compulsory school age from 7 years to 6 years; makes a related change. Effective July 1, 2013.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 28-1)

Status: (Failed) 2014-12-03 - Session Sine Die [HB2762 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HB2762-Amended.html

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Rep. Sue Scherer

Filed: 4/12/2013

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AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2762
AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 2762 by replacing
everything after the enacting clause with the following:
"Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
26-1 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/26-1) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-1)
Sec. 26-1. Compulsory school age-Exemptions. Whoever has
custody or control of any child between the ages of 7 and 17
years (unless the child has already graduated from high school)
shall cause such child to attend some public school in the
district wherein the child resides the entire time it is in
session during the regular school term, except that if the
child turns 7 during the regular school term, that child shall
be made to attend that entire school term. Further exceptions
are except as provided in Section 10-19.1, and for during a
required summer school programs program established under

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Section 10-22.33B. The ; provided, that the following children
shall not be required to attend the public schools:
1. Any child attending a private or a parochial school
where children are taught the branches of education taught
to children of corresponding age and grade in the public
schools, and where the instruction of the child in the
branches of education is in the English language;
2. Any child who is physically or mentally unable to
attend school, such disability being certified to the
county or district truant officer by a competent physician
licensed in Illinois to practice medicine and surgery in
all its branches, a chiropractic physician licensed under
the Medical Practice Act of 1987, an advanced practice
nurse who has a written collaborative agreement with a
collaborating physician that authorizes the advanced
practice nurse to perform health examinations, a physician
assistant who has been delegated the authority to perform
health examinations by his or her supervising physician, or
a Christian Science practitioner residing in this State and
listed in the Christian Science Journal; or who is excused
for temporary absence for cause by the principal or teacher
of the school which the child attends; the exemptions in
this paragraph (2) do not apply to any female who is
pregnant or the mother of one or more children, except
where a female is unable to attend school due to a
complication arising from her pregnancy and the existence

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of such complication is certified to the county or district
truant officer by a competent physician;
3. Any child necessarily and lawfully employed
according to the provisions of the law regulating child
labor may be excused from attendance at school by the
county superintendent of schools or the superintendent of
the public school which the child should be attending, on
certification of the facts by and the recommendation of the
school board of the public school district in which the
child resides. In districts having part time continuation
schools, children so excused shall attend such schools at
least 8 hours each week;
4. Any child over 12 and under 14 years of age while in
attendance at confirmation classes;
5. Any child absent from a public school on a
particular day or days or at a particular time of day for
the reason that he is unable to attend classes or to
participate in any examination, study or work requirements
on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day,
because the tenets of his religion forbid secular activity
on a particular day or days or at a particular time of day.
Each school board shall prescribe rules and regulations
relative to absences for religious holidays including, but
not limited to, a list of religious holidays on which it
shall be mandatory to excuse a child; but nothing in this
paragraph 5 shall be construed to limit the right of any

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school board, at its discretion, to excuse an absence on
any other day by reason of the observance of a religious
holiday. A school board may require the parent or guardian
of a child who is to be excused from attending school due
to the observance of a religious holiday to give notice,
not exceeding 5 days, of the child's absence to the school
principal or other school personnel. Any child excused from
attending school under this paragraph 5 shall not be
required to submit a written excuse for such absence after
returning to school; and
6. Any child 16 years of age or older who (i) submits
to a school district evidence of necessary and lawful
employment pursuant to paragraph 3 of this Section and (ii)
is enrolled in a graduation incentives program pursuant to
Section 26-16 of this Code or an alternative learning
opportunities program established pursuant to Article 13B
of this Code.
(Source: P.A. 96-367, eff. 8-13-09.)".