HBA-CBW H.B. 3345 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3345 By: Sadler Juvenile Justice & Family Issues 4/1/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, a juvenile court is without jurisdiction to conduct a hearing for a person who has committed truancy or failed to attend school. However, a justice or municipal court has jurisdiction over such an offense. In 1997, the legislature increased the age of compulsory school attendance by one year which now requires the transfer to a juvenile court of proceedings against an individual who will have attained the individual's17th birthday prior to the first appearance in juvenile court. Increasing the age of compulsory school attendance past an individual's 17th birthday and not extending juvenile court jurisdiction beyond the age of 17 has created confusion regarding the jurisdiction of cases involving such individuals. House Bill 3345 gives the juvenile court concurrent jurisdiction with the justice and municipal courts over conduct engaged in by a child related to truancy and failure to attend school. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 3345 amends the Family Code to provide that the juvenile court has concurrent jurisdiction with the justice and municipal courts over conduct engaged in by a child who commits an offense by failing to attend school. The bill provides that a failure of a child to attend school is considered conduct in need of supervision. H.B. 3345 amends the Education Code to provide that a school attendance officer has the power and duty to refer to a juvenile court or to file a complaint in a justice or municipal court against a student who fails to attend school. The bill provides that on a finding by a juvenile court that a child has failed to attend school, the court may enter an order that includes certain requirements and provides that a student is subject to prosecution for failing to attend school. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.