Bill Text: FL S1070 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: School Absence Due to Sickness or Injury

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2022-03-14 - Died in Education [S1070 Detail]

Download: Florida-2022-S1070-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2022                                    SB 1070
       
       
        
       By Senator Jones
       
       
       
       
       
       35-00824-22                                           20221070__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to school absence due to sickness or
    3         injury; amending s. 1003.24, F.S.; providing that a
    4         written statement attesting to the impracticability or
    5         inadvisability of attendance on account of sickness or
    6         injury may be attested to by a licensed professional
    7         other than a practicing physician, as determined by
    8         school board policy; providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Subsection (4) of section 1003.24, Florida
   13  Statutes, is amended to read:
   14         1003.24 Parents responsible for attendance of children;
   15  attendance policy.—Each parent of a child within the compulsory
   16  attendance age is responsible for the child’s school attendance
   17  as required by law. The absence of a student from school is
   18  prima facie evidence of a violation of this section; however,
   19  criminal prosecution under this chapter may not be brought
   20  against a parent until the provisions of s. 1003.26 have been
   21  complied with. A parent of a student is not responsible for the
   22  student’s nonattendance at school under any of the following
   23  conditions:
   24         (4) SICKNESS, INJURY, OR OTHER INSURMOUNTABLE CONDITION.
   25  Attendance was impracticable or inadvisable on account of
   26  sickness or injury, as attested to by a written statement of a
   27  licensed practicing physician or other licensed professional as
   28  determined by school board policy, or was impracticable because
   29  of some other stated insurmountable condition as defined by and
   30  attested to in accordance with rules of the State Board of
   31  Education. If a student is continually sick and repeatedly
   32  absent from school, he or she must be under the supervision of a
   33  physician, or if the absence is related to the student having
   34  autism spectrum disorder, receiving services from a licensed
   35  health care practitioner or behavior analyst certified pursuant
   36  to s. 393.17, in order to receive an excuse from attendance.
   37  Such excuse provides that a student’s condition justifies
   38  absence for more than the number of days permitted by the
   39  district school board.
   40  
   41  Each district school board shall establish an attendance policy
   42  that includes, but is not limited to, the required number of
   43  days each school year that a student must be in attendance and
   44  the number of absences and tardinesses after which a statement
   45  explaining such absences and tardinesses must be on file at the
   46  school. Each school in the district must determine if an absence
   47  or tardiness is excused or unexcused according to criteria
   48  established by the district school board.
   49         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.