Committee advances bill to make prior unexcused absences follow transfer students for tiered truancy intervention

House Bill 18,23, sponsored in committee as introduced, would require a local education agency that enrolls a student who previously attended another public LEA during the same school year to include any unexcused absences accumulated at the student’s former LEA when implementing the enrolling LEA’s progressive truancy plan. The sponsor told the committee the measure applies only at "tier 3," the stage when cases are referred toward juvenile court or campus court processes.

Members pressed the sponsor and legal counsel on how differing local definitions of excused vs. unexcused absences — for example, whether a doctor's note counts — would affect students who transfer. Legal services told the panel that the enrolling LEA implements its own progressive truancy plan but must include the number of unexcused absences from the student’s prior LEA in the tally. One member warned that applying the policy at tier 3 could deter families from re‑enrolling students; the sponsor responded that tier 3 already involves courts or campus judges and legally mandated interventions. "Tier 3 only," the sponsor emphasized during explanation of the amendment.

The committee recorded the vote as 10 ayes, 4 nays and 2 present‑not‑voting, moving HB 18,23 out to calendar and rules. The bill now advances with an amendment clarifying the counting and the enrolling LEA’s responsibilities. Implementation questions members asked — such as harmonizing what counts as excused across districts, and how virtual schools are treated — were referred to the department and to follow‑up during future work on the code.