2024 House Bill 611: AN ACT relating to truancy

House Bill 611 concerns the legal action schools can take regarding truant students. It would require schools to report students who have missed 15 or more days without an excuse to the county attorney. It also sets parameters around the procedure for after the complaint has been filed including a diversion period.

Since returning to in-person school after the height of the pandemic, Kentucky, and the US as a whole, has seen an uptick in “chronic absenteeism.” Measures like HB 611 aim to help combat the trend. However, opponents of the bill argue that HB 611 does not adequately address the root cause of why students are not getting to school. Instead it further punishes them and their families.