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47 | 40 | | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE |
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48 | 41 | | |
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49 | 42 | | An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
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50 | 43 | | Section 10-105, which relates to school attendance; |
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51 | 44 | | requiring compulsory school attendance for certain |
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52 | 45 | | students who are eighteen; providing ex ceptions; |
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53 | 46 | | prescribing punishment for violations ; and declaring |
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54 | 47 | | an emergency. |
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55 | 48 | | |
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56 | 49 | | |
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57 | 50 | | |
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58 | 51 | | |
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59 | 52 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA: |
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60 | 53 | | SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 20 21, Section 10-105, is |
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61 | 54 | | amended to read as follows: |
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62 | 55 | | Section 10-105. A. It shall be unlawful for a parent, |
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63 | 56 | | guardian, or other perso n having custody of a child who is over the |
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64 | 57 | | age of five (5) year s, and under the age of eighteen (18) years, to |
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65 | 58 | | neglect or refuse to cause or compel such child to attend and comply |
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66 | 59 | | with the rules of some public, private or other school, unless other |
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67 | 60 | | means of education are provided for the full term the schools of the |
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98 | 90 | | excused from kindergarten attendance as provided in this se ction. A |
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99 | 91 | | child who is five (5) years of age shall be excused from |
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100 | 92 | | kindergarten attendance until the next school year after the child |
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101 | 93 | | is six (6) years of age if a parent, guardian, or other pe rson |
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102 | 94 | | having custody of the child notifies the superintendent of the |
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103 | 95 | | district where the child is a resident by certified mail prior to |
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104 | 96 | | enrollment in kindergarten, or at any time during the first school |
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105 | 97 | | year that the child is required to attend kindergarten pursuant to |
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106 | 98 | | this section, of election to withhold the child from kindergarten |
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107 | 99 | | until the next school year after the child is six (6) years of age. |
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108 | 100 | | A kindergarten program shall be directed toward devel opmentally |
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109 | 101 | | appropriate objectives for such children. Th e program shall require |
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110 | 102 | | that any teacher employed on and after J anuary 1, 1993, to teach a |
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111 | 103 | | kindergarten program within the public school system shall be |
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112 | 104 | | certified in early childhood education. All te achers hired to teach |
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113 | 105 | | a kindergarten program within the public school system prior to |
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114 | 106 | | January 1, 1993, shall be required to obtain certification in early |
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115 | 107 | | childhood education on or before the 1996 -97 school year in order to |
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116 | 108 | | continue to teach a kindergarten program. |
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117 | 109 | | B. It shall be unlawful for any child who is o ver the age of |
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118 | 110 | | twelve (12) years and under the age of eighteen (18) years, and who |
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148 | 139 | | or other school, or recei ve an education by other means for the full |
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149 | 140 | | term the schools of the district a re in session. |
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150 | 141 | | Provided, that this section shall not apply: |
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151 | 142 | | 1. If any child is prevented from attending school by reason of |
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152 | 143 | | mental or physical disability, to be determined by th e board of |
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153 | 144 | | education of the district upon a certificate of the school physicia n |
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154 | 145 | | or public health physician, or, if no such physician is available, a |
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155 | 146 | | duly licensed and practicing physician; |
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156 | 147 | | 2. If any child is excus ed from attendance at school, due to an |
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157 | 148 | | emergency, by the principal teacher of the school in which such |
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158 | 149 | | child is enrolled, at the request of the parent, guardian, custodian |
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159 | 150 | | or other person having control of such child; |
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160 | 151 | | 3. If any child who has attained his or her sixteenth birthday |
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161 | 152 | | is excused from attending school by written, joint agreement |
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162 | 153 | | between: |
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163 | 154 | | a. the school administr ator of the school district where |
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164 | 155 | | the child attends school, and |
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165 | 156 | | b. the parent, guardian or custodian of the child. |
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166 | 157 | | Provided, further, t hat no child shall be excused from |
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167 | 158 | | attending school by such joint agreement between a |
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168 | 159 | | school administrator and the paren t, guardian or |
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169 | 160 | | custodian of the child unless and until it has been |
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199 | 189 | | shall thereafter be under the supervision of the |
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200 | 190 | | parent, guardian or custodian un til the child has |
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201 | 191 | | reached the age of eighteen (18) years; |
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202 | 192 | | 4. If any child is excused from attending school for the |
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203 | 193 | | purpose of observing religious holy days if before the absenc e, the |
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204 | 194 | | parent, guardian, or person having custody or control of the student |
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205 | 195 | | submits a written request for the excused absence. The school |
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206 | 196 | | district shall excuse a student pursuant to this subsection for the |
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207 | 197 | | days on which the religious holy days are observe d and for the days |
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208 | 198 | | on which the student must travel to and from the site where the |
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209 | 199 | | student will observe the holy days; or |
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210 | 200 | | 5. If any child is excused from attending school for the |
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211 | 201 | | purpose of participating in a milit ary funeral honors ceremony upon |
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212 | 202 | | approval of the school principal. |
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213 | 203 | | C. It shall be unlawful for any student who is eight een (18) |
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214 | 204 | | years of age, and who has not completed four (4) years of high |
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215 | 205 | | school work, to neglect or refuse to attend and comply with the |
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216 | 206 | | rules of some public, private, or o ther school, or receive an |
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217 | 207 | | education by other means for the full term the schools of the |
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218 | 208 | | district are in session. Provided, that this section shall not |
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219 | 209 | | apply: |
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250 | 239 | | or public health physician, or, if no physician is available, a duly |
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251 | 240 | | licensed and practicing physician; |
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252 | 241 | | 2. If any student is excused from attend ing school due to an |
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253 | 242 | | emergency by the administrator of the school where the student is |
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254 | 243 | | enrolled; |
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255 | 244 | | 3. If any student who has attained his or her eighteenth |
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256 | 245 | | birthday is excused from attending school by written, joint |
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257 | 246 | | agreement between: |
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258 | 247 | | a. the school principal of the school district where the |
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259 | 248 | | student attends school, and |
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260 | 249 | | b. the student; |
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261 | 250 | | 4. If any student is excused from attending school for the |
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262 | 251 | | purpose of observing religious holy days if before the abs ence the |
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263 | 252 | | student submits a writ ten request for the excuse d absence. The |
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264 | 253 | | school district shall excuse a student pursuant to this paragraph |
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265 | 254 | | for the days on which the religious holy days are observed and for |
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266 | 255 | | the days on which the student must travel to and from the site where |
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267 | 256 | | the student will observe the holy days ; or |
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268 | 257 | | 5. If any student is excused from attending school for the |
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269 | 258 | | purpose of participatin g in a military funeral honors ceremony upon |
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270 | 259 | | approval of the school principal. |
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301 | 289 | | any provision subsection A or B of this section, it shall be an |
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302 | 290 | | affirmative defense that the parent, guardian, or other per son |
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303 | 291 | | having custody of the child has made s ubstantial and reasonable |
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304 | 292 | | efforts to comply with the compulsory attendan ce requirements of |
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305 | 293 | | this section but is unable to cause the child to att end school. If |
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306 | 294 | | the court determines the affirmative defense is valid, it shall |
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307 | 295 | | dismiss the complaint against the parent, guardian, or other person |
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308 | 296 | | having custody of the child and shall notify the school attendance |
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309 | 297 | | officer who shall refer the child to the district attorney for the |
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310 | 298 | | county in which the child resides for the fil ing of a Child in Need |
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311 | 299 | | of Supervision petition against the child pursuant to the Oklahoma |
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312 | 300 | | Juvenile Code. |
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313 | 301 | | D. E. Any parent, guardian, custodian, student who is eighteen |
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314 | 302 | | (18) years of age, child or other person violating any of the |
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315 | 303 | | provisions of this section, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a |
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316 | 304 | | misdemeanor, and shall be punished as follows: |
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317 | 305 | | 1. For the first offense, a fine of not less than Twenty-five |
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318 | 306 | | Dollars ($25.00) nor more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00), or |
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319 | 307 | | imprisonment for not m ore than five (5) days, or both such fine and |
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320 | 308 | | imprisonment; |
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352 | 339 | | 3. For the third or subsequent offense, a fine of not less than |
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353 | 340 | | One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor m ore than Two Hundred Fifty |
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354 | 341 | | Dollars ($250.00), or imprisonment for not more than fifteen (15) |
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355 | 342 | | days, or both such fine and imprisonment. |
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356 | 343 | | Each day the child or student remains out of school after the |
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357 | 344 | | oral and documented or written warning has been given to the parent, |
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358 | 345 | | guardian, custodian, student, child or other person or the child has |
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359 | 346 | | been ordered to school by the juvenile court shall constitute a |
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360 | 347 | | separate offense. |
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361 | 348 | | E. F. At the trial of any person charged with violating the |
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362 | 349 | | provisions of this section, the attendance records of t he student |
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363 | 350 | | who is eighteen (18) years of age, child, or ward may be presented |
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364 | 351 | | in court by any authorized employee of the school district. |
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365 | 352 | | F. G. The court may order the student who is eighteen (18) |
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366 | 353 | | years of age, parent, guardian, or other person having custody of |
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367 | 354 | | the child to perform community service in lieu of the fine set forth |
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368 | 355 | | in this section. The court may require that all or part of the |
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369 | 356 | | community service be performed for a public school district. |
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370 | 357 | | G. H. The court may order as a co ndition of a deferred sentence |
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371 | 358 | | or as a condition of sentence upon conviction of the student who is |
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403 | 389 | | 1. Verifying attendance of the child with the sc hool; |
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404 | 390 | | 2. Attending meetings with school officials; |
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405 | 391 | | 3. Taking the child to school; |
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406 | 392 | | 4. Taking the child to the bus stop; |
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407 | 393 | | 5. Attending school with the child; |
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408 | 394 | | 6. Undergoing an evaluation for drug, alcohol, or other |
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409 | 395 | | substance abuse and following the recomm endations of the evaluator; |
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410 | 396 | | and |
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411 | 397 | | 7. Taking the child for or the student who is eighteen (18) |
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412 | 398 | | years of age attending drug, alcohol, or other substance abuse |
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413 | 399 | | evaluation and following the recommendations o f the evaluator, |
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414 | 400 | | unless excused by the court. |
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415 | 401 | | SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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416 | 402 | | of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is here by |
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417 | 403 | | declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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418 | 404 | | be in full force from and after its passage an d approval. |
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419 | 405 | | |
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