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House debates tougher truancy rules that could allow citations and earlier court referral
Summary
A lengthy floor debate examined HB85, which would let schools or law enforcement issue truancy citations for one-time truants, define habitual truancy as three episodes, and streamline referrals to juvenile court; sponsors said aim is early intervention, critics warned about criminalizing parents and inconsistent application.
SALT LAKE CITY — A long debate on Feb. 16 focused on House Bill 85, a measure that would revise Utah’s compulsory education enforcement by clarifying offenses, allowing one-time truancy citations handled administratively, and creating a clearer threshold for habitual truancy.
Representative Duane Bordeaux, sponsor of HB85, said the current statute is vague and difficult to enforce against parents who do not enroll or respond to school requests. Under HB85, a parent who fails to enroll a child or refuses a written request to meet…
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