JLM H.B. 940 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS PUBLIC EDUCATION H.B. 940 By: Wohlgemuth 5-6-97 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND A child who has been absent from school without an excuse for 10 or more days, or parts of days, within a six-month period or three or more days, or parts of days, within a four-week period without parental consent is guilty of delinquent conduct under Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code. Parents of children found in violation of this section of the Family Code may be found guilty of thwarting compulsory attendance laws and fined. The last rewrite of the Texas Education Code required warning notices be sent to a parent when a child had missed five days without an excuse in a six month period. Notice, however, was not required for nearing a violation of the fourweek period. PURPOSE The purpose of this bill is to clarify and require warning notices be sent to a child's parent when the child is near violation of either provision of Section 51.03(b)(2), Family Code. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.095(a) of the Education Code by adding a requirement for a school district to notify a student's parent or guardian in writing if the student has been absent without an excuse twice during any part of the day within a four week period. This Act adds subsection (b) revising the required information on the notice. SECTION 2. Effective Date. SECTION 3. Emergency Clause.