HF1604

HF1604 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

School attendance mandated to a local welfare agency, habitual truant definition modified, and money appropriated for grants to fund child welfare response efforts.

Related bill: SF942

AI Generated Summary

This bill proposes amendments to Minnesota's laws regarding school attendance, truancy, and child welfare responses to educational neglect.

Key Provisions:

Redefinition of Habitual Truant
- Modifies the definition of "habitual truant" to specify that children aged 12 to 17 who have at least seven unexcused absences per school year meet the definition.
- Expands the definition to include children under 12 if they have at least seven unexcused absences and evidence shows the absences were not due to parental neglect.
Mandatory Reporting of Attendance Concerns
- Requires school personnel and other mandated reporters to immediately report to a local welfare agency when a child has seven or more unexcused absences in a school year and is at risk of truancy or educational neglect.
- Allows voluntary reporting by any other individual.
- Requires a written follow-up report within 72 hours of an oral report.
Child Welfare Response
- Requires the local welfare agency to respond to reports of educational neglect by offering services to the child and family.
- Encourages collaboration with community partners to provide culturally appropriate services.
- If unexcused absences continue and the family does not engage with services, the law mandates filing a report of educational neglect.
Appropriation of Funds
- Allocates state funds for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support child welfare response efforts related to school attendance.
- Provides grants to local welfare agencies for improving school attendance, with funding also supporting program evaluation to assess effectiveness.

This bill aims to strengthen intervention efforts for school attendance issues, ensure timely reporting, and provide appropriate support to families while addressing educational neglect.

Bill text versions

Introduction PDF file

Actions

Date	Chamber	Where	Type	Name	Committee Name
February 25, 2025	House	Floor	Action	Introduction and first reading, referred to	Children and Families Finance and Policy

Citations

[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Clarifies age range for habitual truancy for children under 12."
      ],
      "summary": "This bill modifies the habitual truant definition under section 260C.007.",
      "modified": [
        "Adjusts truancy criteria including class period absences in middle and high school."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "260C.007"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Includes guidelines for reporting to welfare agencies for children with unexcused absences per compulsory education requirements."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill mandates reporting of school attendance, referencing compulsory education laws under section 120A.22."
    },
    "citation": "120A.22"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Presumption of educational neglect for children under age 12 with unexcused absences."
      ],
      "summary": "Defines educational neglect in the context of habitual truancy under section 260C.163."
    },
    "citation": "260C.163"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Mandates culturally appropriate services aligning with sections 260.751 to 260.835."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill ensures compliance with the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act."
    },
    "citation": "260.751 to 260.835"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Mandates culturally appropriate services under sections 260.61 to 260.693."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill ensures compliance with the Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act."
    },
    "citation": "260.61 to 260.693"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Assigns proper response path for continued unexcused absences."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill refers to section 260E.17 for response path assignment in educational neglect cases."
    },
    "citation": "260E.17"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Includes procedural steps for pursuing educational neglect cases."
      ],
      "summary": "The bill references the process outlined in section 260C.141 for handling educational neglect."
    },
    "citation": "260C.141"
  }
]