Public Act 100-0918

HB5795 Enrolled LRB100 19595 AXK 34866 b

AN ACT concerning education.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section

26-2a as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/26-2a) (from Ch. 122, par. 26-2a)

Sec. 26-2a. A "truant" is defined as a child who is subject

to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid

cause, as defined under this Section, from such attendance for

more than 1% but less than 5% of the past 180 school days a

school day or portion thereof.

"Valid cause" for absence shall be illness, observance of a

religious holiday, death in the immediate family, family

emergency, and shall include such other situations beyond the

control of the student as determined by the board of education

in each district, or such other circumstances which cause

reasonable concern to the parent for the safety or health of

the student.

"Chronic or habitual truant" shall be defined as a child

who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is

absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% or more

of the previous 180 regular attendance days.

"Truant minor" is defined as a chronic truant to whom

supportive services, including prevention, diagnostic,

intervention and remedial services, alternative programs and

other school and community resources have been provided and

have failed to result in the cessation of chronic truancy, or

have been offered and refused.

A "dropout" is defined as any child enrolled in grades 9

through 12 whose name has been removed from the district

enrollment roster for any reason other than the student's

death, extended illness, removal for medical non-compliance,

expulsion, aging out, graduation, or completion of a program of

studies and who has not transferred to another public or

private school and is not known to be home-schooled by his or

her parents or guardians or continuing school in another

country.

"Religion" for the purposes of this Article, includes all

aspects of religious observance and practice, as well as

belief.

(Source: P.A. 96-1423, eff. 8-3-10; 97-218, eff. 7-28-11.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,

2018.