H.B. 392

1

TRUANCY PREVENTION APPROPRIATION
2 1997 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Jeff Alexander
5 AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATE SYSTEM OF PUBLIC EDUCATION; DESCRIBING
6 TRUANCY SUPPORT CENTERS; APPROPRIATING $100,000 TO THE STATE BOARD
7 OF EDUCATION FOR GRANTS TO DISTRICTS THAT MAY WANT TO ESTABLISH A
8 TRUANCY SUPPORT CENTER; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
9 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
10 ENACTS:
11 53A-11-106, Utah Code Annotated 1953
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 Section 1. Section 53A-11-106 is enacted to read:
14 53A-11-106. Truancy support centers.
15 (1) A school district may establish one or more truancy support centers for:
16 (a) truant students taken into custody under Section 53A-11-105; or
17 (b) students suspended or expelled from school.
18 (2) A truancy support center shall provide a wide spectrum of services to the truant student
19 and the student's family, including:
20 (a) assessments of the student's needs and abilities;
21 (b) support for the parents and student through counseling and community programs; and
22 (c) tutoring for the student during the time spent at the center.
23 (3) For the suspended or expelled student, the truancy support center shall provide an
24 educational setting, staffed with certified teachers and aides, to provide the student with ongoing
25 educational programming appropriate to their grade level.
26 (4) In a district with a truancy support center, all students suspended or expelled from
27 school shall be referred to the center. A parent or guardian shall appear with the student at the

1 center within 48 hours of the suspension or expulsion, not including weekends or holidays. The
2 student shall register and attend classes at the truancy support center for the duration of the
3 suspension or expulsion unless the parent or guardian demonstrates that alternative arrangements
4 have been made for the education or supervision of the student during the time of suspension or
5 expulsion.
6 (5) The truancy support center may provide counseling and other support programming
7 for students suspended or expelled from school and their parents or guardian.
8 Section 2. Appropriation.
9 There is appropriated $100,000 from the General Fund for fiscal year 1997-98 to the State
10 Board of Education to provide grants to school districts to provide and staff truancy support
11 centers.
12 Section 3. Effective date.
13 This act takes effect on July 1, 1997.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-10-97 5:27 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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