2021 Bills

SB 219: One-Year Moratorium on Truancy Laws

To track the status of this bill, find it on our Legislation Tracker. Click here to contact the sponsor of the bill to share your thoughts, or click here to email your Senator and Representative about it.

Libertas Institute supports this bill

Staff review of this legislation finds that it aligns with our principles and should therefore be passed into law.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on families and students as schools have moved into more virtual settings. Some parents have opted to homeschool their children without necessarily going through the right steps to officially withdraw their child. Others struggle with attendance for a variety of other factors.

Schools and parents alike need the flexibility to do what is best for students. Many schools have already adopted lenient truancy practices during the pandemic. Senate Bill 219, proposed by Senator Dan McCay, seeks to codify these practices for one school year while society emerges from the pandemic and back into full-time in-classroom learning. Truancy laws would be unenforceable until after the 2021-2022 school year is completed.