Committee tightens hotline threshold for educational‑neglect reports in SB250

Senate Bill 250, introduced by Senator Clark and presented by Michelle Martin of the Division of Children and Family Services, would change the hotline standard for accepting educational‑neglect reports to include four qualifiers: an allegation that a parent intentionally failed to ensure school attendance, that the absence was not caused by the child's refusal, that the child has missed more than 15 days within an academic year, and that the absences have substantially harmed the child’s school performance.