LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
200 W. Washington St., Suite 301
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-0696
iga.in.gov
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 6915 NOTE PREPARED: Feb 1, 2024
BILL NUMBER: SB 282 BILL AMENDED: Feb 1, 2024
SUBJECT: Absenteeism and School Attendance.
FIRST AUTHOR: Sen. Donato BILL STATUS: CR Adopted - 1
st
House
FIRST SPONSOR:
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: (Amended) This bill amends the duties of an attendance officer and the State
Attendance Officer. It requires, not later than November 1 of each year, the State Attendance Officer to
submit a report to the Legislative Council containing recommended legislation based on the state attendance
officer's discussions with attendance officers.
The bill requires the governing authority of a school corporation, charter school, and nonpublic school that
has at least one employee to establish a truancy prevention policy regarding certain students in kindergarten
through grade 6.
The bill also urges the Legislative Council to assign to the appropriate interim study committee the task of
studying certain matters concerning absenteeism.
Effective Date: (Amended) Upon passage; July 1, 2024.
Explanation of State Expenditures: (Revised) Department of Education (DOE): This bill requires the
Secretary of Education to establish guidance regarding the truancy policies to be adopted by schools under
provisions of this bill. The Secretary of Education should be able to accomplish these tasks within routine
administrative functions.
The bill will increase the workload of the State Attendance Officer to meet at least once each year with all
attendance officers and to prepare a report based on discussions with those officers recommending legislation
to deter absenteeism and promote school attendance. The State Attendance Officer should be able to
accomplish this task within existing resources.
SB 282 1 (Revised) Interim Study Committee: The Legislative Council could assign the topic to an existing interim
study committee or establish a new interim study committee to study this topic during the next interim.
Interim study committees operate on budgets established by the Legislative Council based on committee size.
Legislative Council resolutions in the past have established budgets for interim study committees in the
amount of $13,500 per interim for committees with fewer than 16 members and $17,500 for committees with
16 members or more. If the Legislative Council were to assign this topic to an existing committee and the
committee were to have any extra meetings to address this topic, there would be additional expenditures for
legislator per diem and travel reimbursement for the committee members. Any additional expenditures must
be within the committee’s budget.
Explanation of State Revenues:
Explanation of Local Expenditures: (Revised) Truancy Prevention Policy: The bill requires public schools,
charter schools, and nonpublic schools to establish and implement a truancy prevention policy to address
truancy before a child becomes a habitual truant and to minimize the need for referrals to juvenile courts.
A truancy prevention policy must specify that schools will notify parents of absentee children of the parent’s
responsibilities regarding student attendance and require that the parent participate in an attendance
conference with school officials regarding measures being taken to prevent further absenteeism. Schools
must establish a truancy prevention plan for each absentee student and hold an attendance conference with
a parent of each absentee student. Additional counseling services are to be provided to a student under certain
circumstances. Depending on existing policies and practices and on the prevalence of absenteeism in a
school, these requirements may constitute a significant workload increase for some schools. Existing staffing
and resource levels, if currently being used to capacity, may be insufficient for full implementation. The
additional funds and resources required could be supplied through existing staff and resources currently
being used in another program or with new appropriations. Ultimately, the source of funds and resources
required to satisfy the requirements of this bill will depend on legislative and administrative actions.
(Revised) School Attendance Officer: The bill adds to the duties of the school attendance officer. It requires
the attendance officer to meet at least once a year with DCS and the State Attendance Officer to discuss the
effectiveness of truancy prevention measures, review data, policies, procedures, and discuss potential
recommendations to the Legislative Council regarding legislation to deter absenteeism and promote school
attendance.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: Department of Education; Department of Child Services; General Assembly.
Local Agencies Affected: Schools; juvenile courts.
Information Sources:
Fiscal Analyst: Alexander Raggio, 317-234-9485; Corrin Harvey, 317-234-9438.
SB 282 2