1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; clarifying a valid excuse for 
  1.3             student absences from school; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 1998, section 260A.02, subdivision 3; 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 260C.007, 
  1.6             subdivision 19. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 260A.02, 
  1.9   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 3.  [CONTINUING TRUANT.] "Continuing truant" means a 
  1.11  child who is subject to the compulsory instruction requirements 
  1.12  of section 120A.22 and is absent from instruction in a school, 
  1.13  as defined in section 120A.05, without valid excuse within a 
  1.14  single school year for: 
  1.15     (1) three days if the child is in elementary school; or 
  1.16     (2) three or more class periods on three days if the child 
  1.17  is in middle school, junior high school, or high school. 
  1.18     Nothing in this section shall prevent a school district 
  1.19  from notifying a truant child's parent or legal guardian of the 
  1.20  child's truancy or otherwise addressing a child's attendance 
  1.21  problems prior to the child becoming a continuing truant.  A 
  1.22  valid excuse shall include a child diagnosed with a chronic 
  1.23  illness who is absent from school because of the illness or 
  1.24  conditions associated with the illness provided the school has 
  1.25  been notified once during the school year of the child's illness 
  1.26  by a licensed physician. 
  2.1      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1999 Supplement, section 
  2.2   260C.007, subdivision 19, is amended to read: 
  2.3      Subd. 19.  [HABITUAL TRUANT.] "Habitual truant" means a 
  2.4   child under the age of 16 years who is absent from attendance at 
  2.5   school without lawful excuse for seven school days if the child 
  2.6   is in elementary school or for one or more class periods on 
  2.7   seven school days if the child is in middle school, junior high 
  2.8   school, or high school, or a child who is 16 or 17 years of age 
  2.9   who is absent from attendance at school without lawful excuse 
  2.10  for one or more class periods on seven school days and who has 
  2.11  not lawfully withdrawn from school under section 120A.22, 
  2.12  subdivision 6.  A valid excuse shall include a child diagnosed 
  2.13  with a chronic illness who is absent from school because of the 
  2.14  illness or conditions associated with the illness provided the 
  2.15  school has been notified once during the school year of the 
  2.16  child's illness by a licensed physician.