House File 555 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 555 BY BAGNIEWSKI and LOHSE A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to notices that school 1 officials are required to send when a child becomes 2 chronically absent. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2754YH (3) 91 jda/jh
H.F. 555 Section 1. Section 299.12, subsection 2, paragraph a, Code 1 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 a. (1) When a child becomes chronically absent, a school 3 official shall send do all of the following: 4 (a) Send a notice by ordinary mail or electronic mail to 5 the county attorney of the county in which the public schools 6 central administrative office is located , and . 7 (b) Send a notice by certified ordinary mail , and 8 electronic mail if known, to the childs parent, guardian, 9 or legal or actual custodian of the child, if the child is 10 not an emancipated minor, or to the child, if the child is an 11 emancipated minor , that includes . 12 (2) The notices sent pursuant to subparagraph (1) must 13 include information related to the childs absences from school 14 and the policies and disciplinary processes associated with 15 additional absences. 16 EXPLANATION 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 18 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 19 This bill modifies provisions related to notices that school 20 officials are required to send when a child becomes chronically 21 absent. 22 Current law provides that when a child becomes chronically 23 absent under Code section 299.12 (failure to attend), a school 24 official is required to send a notice by certified mail to 25 the childs parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian, 26 if the child is not an emancipated minor, or to the child, if 27 the child is an emancipated minor, that includes information 28 related to the childs absences from school and the policies 29 and disciplinary processes associated with additional absences. 30 The bill modifies this provision to provide that the school 31 official is required to send the notice by ordinary mail and by 32 electronic mail, if the school official knows the electronic 33 mail address. 34 -1- LSB 2754YH (3) 91 jda/jh 1/ 1