Public Act 097-0218
 
HB3179 EnrolledLRB097 07424 NHT 47533 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 subject to 
compulsory school
attendance and who is absent without valid 
cause from such attendance for
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% 10% 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.)
 
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 
becoming law.