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House passes truancy-prevention bill after heated debate over enforcement and age limits
Summary
The Utah House passed a truancy-prevention measure after lengthy debate over enforcement tools, private‑school coverage and whether compulsory attendance should end at 16 or 18. Sponsor Representative Bordeaux argued the bill addresses a daily estimate of about 71,000 truant children; an amendment to lower the compulsory age to 16 failed.
Representative Kathleen Bordeaux, sponsor of the truancy-prevention bill, urged passage of legislation aimed at curbing chronic absenteeism, telling colleagues the state faces "about 71,000 children that are truant from school" on a given day and arguing that "truancy is a stepping stone to delinquent and criminal activity." Bordeaux described the bill as the product of more than a year of work, an interim truancy summit and consultations with education and law‑enforcement stakeholders.
The measure would expand tools for school officials, police and juvenile courts to address persistent nonattendance and create truancy‑support centers to work with students who miss school. Bordeaux said…
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