HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 3951

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)

                            CHAMBER ACTION
              Senate                               House
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 5                                           ORIGINAL STAMP BELOW

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11  Representative(s) Lynn offered the following:

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13         Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         On page 8, between lines 8 and 9, of the bill

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16  insert:

17         Section 7.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) of section

18  232.19, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:

19         232.19  Court procedure and penalties.--The court

20  procedure and penalties for the enforcement of the provisions

21  of this chapter, relating to compulsory school attendance,

22  shall be as follows:

23         (3)  HABITUAL TRUANCY CASES.--In accordance with

24  procedures established by the district school board, the

25  designated school representative shall refer a student who is

26  habitually truant and the student's family to the

27  children-in-need-of-services and families-in-need-of-services

28  provider or the case staffing committee, established pursuant

29  to s. 39.426, as determined by the cooperative agreement

30  required in this section.  The case staffing committee may

31  request the Department of Juvenile Justice or its designee to

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    File original & 9 copies    04/13/98
    hbd0001                     02:02 pm         03951-0027-422825




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 3951

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  file a child-in-need-of-services petition based upon the

 2  report and efforts of the school district or other community

 3  agency or may seek to resolve the truant behavior through the

 4  school or community-based organizations or agencies. Prior to

 5  and subsequent to the filing of a child-in-need-of-services

 6  petition due to habitual truancy, the appropriate governmental

 7  agencies must allow a reasonable time to complete actions

 8  required by this subsection to remedy the conditions leading

 9  to the truant behavior. The following criteria must be met and

10  documented in writing prior to the filing of a petition:

11         (b)  In addition to the actions described in s. 232.17,

12  the school administration must have completed the following

13  activities to determine the cause, and to attempt the

14  remediation, of the child's truant behavior:

15         1.  After a minimum of 3 and prior to 10 6 unexcused

16  absences within 90 school calendar days, one or more meetings

17  must have been held, either in person or by phone, between a

18  designated school representative, the child's parent or

19  guardian, and the child, if necessary, to report and to

20  attempt to solve the truancy problem. However, if the

21  designated school representative has documented the refusal of

22  the parent or guardian to participate in the meetings, this

23  requirement has been met.

24         2.  Educational counseling must have been provided to

25  determine whether curriculum changes would help solve the

26  truancy problem, and, if any changes were indicated, such

27  changes must have been instituted but proved unsuccessful in

28  remedying the truant behavior. Such curriculum changes may

29  include enrollment of the child in a dropout prevention

30  program that meets the specific educational and behavioral

31  needs of the child, including a second chance school, as

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    File original & 9 copies    04/13/98
    hbd0001                     02:02 pm         03951-0027-422825




                                                   HOUSE AMENDMENT

                                                  Bill No. HB 3951

    Amendment No.     (for drafter's use only)





 1  provided for in s. 230.2316, designed to resolve truant

 2  behavior.

 3         3.  Educational evaluation, which may include

 4  psychological evaluation, must have been provided to assist in

 5  determining the specific condition, if any, that is

 6  contributing to the child's nonattendance.  The evaluation

 7  must have been supplemented by specific efforts by the school

 8  to remedy any diagnosed condition.

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10  If a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance is

11  responsive to the interventions described in this paragraph

12  and has completed the necessary requirements to pass the

13  current grade as indicated in the district pupil progression

14  plan, the child shall be passed.

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17  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

18  And the title is amended as follows:

19         On page 1, line 24,

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21  after the semicolon insert:

22         amending s. 232.19, F.S.; providing for an

23         additional number of unexcused absences;

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    File original & 9 copies    04/13/98
    hbd0001                     02:02 pm         03951-0027-422825