Committee adjusts chronic-absenteeism language in Senate Bill 482 and advances the bill unanimously

Senator Stacy Donato offered two amendments to Senate Bill 482 during the Senate Education and Career Development Committee hearing that corrected a numeric threshold and refined which students could not be expelled solely for chronic absenteeism.

Amendment 1 corrected an earlier drafting error to define chronic absenteeism as five days in a 10‑week period, which aligns with a 10% definition for the new chronic‑absenteeism standard. The amendment was accepted by consent.

Amendment 2 clarified eligibility differences across grade ranges: the language discussed during the committee would prevent expulsion solely for chronic absenteeism for kindergarten through eighth grade, while grades 9–12 may be subject to different procedures. Committee members asked how the bill interacts with existing expulsion processes and whether students who have been chronically absent can access services outside of an expulsion hearing; Senator Donato said she drafted the bill focused solely on absenteeism and would need to review code for the other statutory expulsion grounds.

Senators discussed that some superintendents believe expulsion hearings for older students can open opportunities to connect students to services, and committee members said they would continue to work on complementary legislation for secondary students that addresses service access without involuntary removal.

After discussion and acceptance of amendments by consent, the committee voted to pass Senate Bill 482 as amended by a roll call vote of 13–0.

Ending: Sponsors said they will continue work on secondary‑school processes for connecting chronically absent older students to services.