SB2197enr 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2197 Enrolled LRB094 15606 RLC 51341 b

AN ACT concerning truant minors.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by adding Section 5-1078.2 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/5-1078.2 new)

Sec. 5-1078.2. Truants. A county board may adopt ordinances to regulate truants within the unincorporated areas of its jurisdiction. These ordinances may include a graduated fine schedule for repeat violations, which may not exceed $100, or community service, or both, for violators 10 years of age or older and may provide for enforcement by citation or through administrative hearings as determined by ordinance. If the violator is under 10 years of age, the parent or custodian of the violator is subject to the fine or community service, or both. As used in this Section, "truants" means persons who are within the definition of "truant" in Section 26-2a of the School Code. A home rule unit may not regulate truants in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and functions exercised by the State.

Section 10. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by adding Section 11-5-9 as follows:

(65 ILCS 5/11-5-9 new)

Sec. 11-5-9. Truants. The corporate authorities of any municipality may adopt ordinances to regulate truants within its jurisdiction. These ordinances may include a graduated fine schedule for repeat violations, which may not exceed $100, or community service, or both, for violators 10 years of age or older and may provide for enforcement by citation or through administrative hearings as determined by ordinance. If the violator is under 10 years of age, the parent or custodian of the violator is subject to the fine or community service, or both. As used in this Section, "truants" means persons who are within the definition of "truant" in Section 26-2a of the School Code. A home rule unit may not regulate truants in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of this Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and functions exercised by the State.

Section 11. The School Code is amended by changing Section 34-4.5 as follows:

(105 ILCS 5/34-4.5)

Sec. 34-4.5. Chronic truants.

(a) Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication. The board shall establish and implement an Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, which shall be responsible for administratively adjudicating cases of chronic truancy and imposing appropriate sanctions. The board shall appoint or employ hearing officers to perform the adjudicatory functions of that Office. Principals and other appropriate personnel may refer pupils suspected of being chronic truants, as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code, to the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication.

(b) Notices. Before any hearing may be held under subsection (c), the principal of the school attended by the pupil or the principal's designee shall notify the pupil's parent or guardian by personal visit, letter, or telephone of each unexcused absence of the pupil. After giving the parent or guardian notice of the tenth unexcused absence of the pupil, the principal or the principal's designee shall send the pupil's parent or guardian a letter, by certified mail, return receipt requested, notifying the parent or guardian that he or she is subjecting himself or herself to a hearing procedure as provided under subsection (c) and clearly describing any and all possible penalties that may be imposed as provided for in subsections (d) and (e) of this Section.

(c) Hearing. Once a pupil has been referred to the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, a hearing shall be scheduled before an appointed hearing officer, and the pupil and the pupil's parents or guardian shall be notified by certified mail, return receipt requested stating the time, place, and purpose of the hearing. The hearing officer shall hold a hearing and render a written decision within 14 days determining whether the pupil is a chronic truant as defined in Section 26-2a of this Code and whether the parent or guardian took reasonable steps to assure the pupil's attendance at school. The hearing shall be private unless a public hearing is requested by the pupil's parent or guardian, and the pupil may be present at the hearing with a representative in addition to the pupil's parent or guardian. The board shall present evidence of the pupil's truancy, and the pupil and the parent or guardian or representative of the pupil may cross examine witnesses, present witnesses and evidence, and present defenses to the charges. All testimony at the hearing shall be taken under oath administered by the hearing officer. The decision of the hearing officer shall constitute an "administrative decision" for purposes of judicial review under the Administrative Review Law.

(d) Penalties. The hearing officer may require the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian or both the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian to do any or all of the following: perform reasonable school or community services for a period not to exceed 30 days; complete a parenting education program; obtain counseling or other supportive services; and comply with an individualized educational plan or service plan as provided by appropriate school officials. If the parent or guardian of the chronic truant shows that he or she took reasonable steps to insure attendance of the pupil at school, he or she shall not be required to perform services.

(e) Non-compliance with sanctions. If a pupil determined by a hearing officer to be a chronic truant or the parent or guardian of the pupil fails to comply with the sanctions ordered by the hearing officer under subsection (c) of this Section, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication may refer the matter to the State's Attorney for prosecution under Section 3-33.5 3-33 of the Juvenile Court Act of 1987.

(f) Limitation on applicability. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to apply to a parent or guardian of a pupil not required to attend a public school pursuant to Section 26-1.

(Source: P.A. 90-143, eff. 7-23-97; 90-566, eff. 1-2-98.)

Section 15. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by changing Sections 3-1 and 3-15 and by adding Section 3-33.5 as follows:

(705 ILCS 405/3-1) (from Ch. 37, par. 803-1)

Sec. 3-1. Jurisdictional facts. Proceedings may be instituted under this Article concerning boys and girls who require authoritative intervention as defined in Section 3-3 or who are truant minors in need of supervision as defined in Section 3-33.5 3-33.

(Source: P.A. 85-1235.)

(705 ILCS 405/3-15) (from Ch. 37, par. 803-15)

Sec. 3-15. Petition; supplemental petitions. (1) Any adult person, any agency or association by its representative may file, or the court on its own motion may direct the filing through the State's Attorney of a petition in respect to a minor under this Act. The petition and all subsequent court documents shall be entitled "In the interest of ...., a minor".

(2) The petition shall be verified but the statements may be made upon information and belief. It shall allege that the minor requires authoritative intervention and set forth (a) facts sufficient to bring the minor under Section 3-3 or 3-33.5 3-33; (b) the name, age and residence of the minor; (c) the names and residences of his parents; (d) the name and residence of his legal guardian or the person or persons having custody or control of the minor, or of the nearest known relative if no parent or guardian can be found; and (e) if the minor upon whose behalf the petition is brought is sheltered in custody, the date on which shelter care was ordered by the court or the date set for a shelter care hearing. If any of the facts herein required are not known by the petitioner, the petition shall so state.

(3) The petition must allege that it is in the best interests of the minor and of the public that he be adjudged a ward of the court and may pray generally for relief available under this Act. The petition need not specify any proposed disposition following adjudication of wardship.

(4) If appointment of a guardian of the person with power to consent to adoption of the minor under Section 3-30 is sought, the petition shall so state.

(5) At any time before dismissal of the petition or before final closing and discharge under Section 3-32, one or more supplemental petitions may be filed in respect to the same minor.

(Source: P.A. 85-1209; 85-1235; 86-1440.)

(705 ILCS 405/3-33.5 new)

Sec. 3-33.5. Truant minors in need of supervision.

(a) Definition. A minor who is reported by the office of the regional superintendent of schools, or, in cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, by the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, as a chronic truant may be subject to a petition for adjudication and adjudged a truant minor in need of supervision, provided that prior to the filing of the petition, the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or a community truancy review board certifies that the local school has provided appropriate truancy intervention services to the truant minor and his or her family. For purposes of this Section, "truancy intervention services" means services designed to assist the minor's return to an educational program, and includes but is not limited to: assessments, counseling, mental health services, shelter, optional and alternative education programs, tutoring, and educational advocacy. If, after review by the regional office of education, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or community truancy review board it is determined the local school did not provide the appropriate interventions, then the minor shall be referred to a comprehensive community based youth service agency for truancy intervention services. If the comprehensive community based youth service agency is incapable to provide intervention services, then this requirement for services is not applicable. The comprehensive community based youth service agency shall submit reports to the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or truancy review board within 20, 40, and 80 school days of the initial referral or at any other time requested by the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or truancy review board, which reports each shall certify the date of the minor's referral and the extent of the minor's progress and participation in truancy intervention services provided by the comprehensive community based youth service agency. In addition, if, after referral by the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or community truancy review board, the minor declines or refuses to fully participate in truancy intervention services provided by the comprehensive community based youth service agency, then the agency shall immediately certify such facts to the office of the regional superintendent of schools, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, or community truancy review board.

(a-1) There is a rebuttable presumption that a chronic truant is a truant minor in need of supervision.

(a-2) There is a rebuttable presumption that school records of a minor's attendance at school are authentic.

(a-3) For purposes of this Section, "chronic truant" means a minor subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 10% or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days and has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 26-2a of the School Code.

(a-4) For purposes of this Section, a "community truancy review board" is a local community based board comprised of but not limited to: representatives from local comprehensive community based youth service agencies, representatives from court service agencies, representatives from local schools, representatives from health service agencies, and representatives from local professional and community organizations as deemed appropriate by the office of the regional superintendent of schools, or, in cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, by the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication. The regional superintendent of schools, or, in cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, must approve the establishment and organization of a community truancy review board and the regional superintendent of schools or his or her designee, or, in cities of over 500,000 inhabitants, the general superintendent of schools or his or her designee, shall chair the board.

(a-5) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to create a private cause of action or right of recovery against a regional office of education or the Office of Chronic Truant Adjudication, its superintendent, or its staff with respect to truancy intervention services where the determination to provide the services is made in good faith.

(b) Kinds of dispositional orders. A minor found to be a truant minor in need of supervision may be:

(1) committed to the appropriate regional superintendent of schools for a student assistance team staffing, a service plan, or referral to a comprehensive community based youth service agency;

(2) required to comply with a service plan as specifically provided by the appropriate regional superintendent of schools;

(3) ordered to obtain counseling or other supportive services;

(4) subject to a fine in an amount in excess of $5, but not exceeding $100, and each day of absence without valid cause as defined in Section 26-2a of The School Code is a separate offense;

(5) required to perform some reasonable public service work such as, but not limited to, the picking up of litter in public parks or along public highways or the maintenance of public facilities; or

(6) subject to having his or her driver's license or driving privilege suspended for a period of time as determined by the court but only until he or she attains 18 years of age.

A dispositional order may include a fine, public service, or suspension of a driver's license or privilege only if the court has made an express written finding that a truancy prevention program has been offered by the school, regional superintendent of schools, or a comprehensive community based youth service agency to the truant minor in need of supervision.

(c) Orders entered under this Section may be enforced by contempt proceedings.

(705 ILCS 405/3-33 rep.)

Section 20. The Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is amended by repealing Section 3-33.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.