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Senate passes SB 45 to remove misdemeanor penalty for parental truancy; debate centers on parental rights and due process
Summary
The Utah Senate voted 24–5 to advance SB 45, a bill by Senator Jackson that removes a class B misdemeanor penalty for parents who fail to ensure children attend school and emphasizes persuasion and supports instead of criminal punishment. Senators debated due process, potential attendance impacts and examples of extreme cases.
Senator Jackson introduced Senate Bill 45 to revise Utah’s compulsory education law by removing a class B misdemeanor penalty for parents who keep children out of school and by shifting enforcement toward persuasion and supportive interventions rather than criminal sanctions. “We should not be threatening a parent with jail time when their children are not attending school,” Jackson said during debate.
Supporters said the current penalty is coercive and can punish families rather than…
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