Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah Senate Bill SB0279 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~Enrolled Copy~~ S.B. 279
	1	+	02-13 15:10 S.B. 279
2	2		1
3	3		High School Rodeo Amendments
4	4		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	5		STATE OF UTAH
6	6		Chief Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
7		-	House Sponsor: ~~Jon Hawkins~~
	7	+	House Sponsor:
8	8		2
9	9
10	10		3
11	11		LONG TITLE
12	12		4
13	13		General Description:
14	14		5
15	15		This bill includes rodeo as a valid excuse for a student to be absent from school.
16	16		6
17	17		Highlighted Provisions:
18	18		7
19	19		This bill:
20	20		8
21	21		▸ amends the definition of "valid excuse" to include a student that competes in a rodeo
22	22		9
23	23		sanctioned by certain organizations; and
24	24		10
25	25		▸ makes technical changes.
26	26		11
27	27		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
28	28		12
29	29		None
30	30		13
31	31		Other Special Clauses:
32	32		14
33	33		This bill provides a special effective date.
34	34		15
35	35		Utah Code Sections Affected:
36	36		16
37	37		AMENDS:
38	38		17
39	39		53G-6-201, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 464
40	40		18
41	41
42	42		19
43	43		Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
44	44		20
45	45		Section 1. Section 53G-6-201 is amended to read:
46	46		21
47	47		53G-6-201 . Definitions.
48	48		22
49	49		As used in this part:
50	50		23
51	51		(1)(a) "Absence" or "absent" means the failure of a school-age child assigned to a class
52	52		24
53	53		or class period to attend a class or class period.
54	54		25
55	55		(b) "Absence" or "absent" does not mean multiple tardies used to calculate an absence
56	56		26
57	57		for the sake of a truancy.
58	58		27
59	59		(2) "Educational neglect" means the same as that term is defined in Section 80-1-102.
60	60		28
61		-	(3)(a) "Home-based microschool" means an individual or association of individuals that: ~~S.B. 279 Enrolled Copy~~
	61	+	(3)(a) "Home-based microschool" means an individual or association of individuals that:
62	62		29
63	63		(i) registers as a business entity in accordance with state and local laws; and
64	64		30
65	65		(ii) for compensation, provides kindergarten through grade 12 education services to
	66	+	S.B. 279 S.B. 279 02-13 15:10
66	67		31
67	68		16 or fewer students from an individual's residential dwelling, accessory dwelling
68	69		32
69	70		unit, or residential property.
70	71		33
71	72		(b) "Home-based microschool" does not include a daycare.
72	73		34
73	74		(4) "Instructor" means an individual who teaches a student as part of a home-based
74	75		35
75	76		microschool or micro-education entity.
76	77		36
77	78		(5)(a) "Micro-education entity" means a person or association of persons that:
78	79		37
79	80		(i) registers as a business entity in accordance with state and local laws; and
80	81		38
81	82		(ii) for compensation, provides kindergarten through grade 12 education services to
82	83		39
83	84		100 students or fewer.
84	85		40
85	86		(b) "Micro-education entity" does not include:
86	87		41
87	88		(i) a daycare;
88	89		42
89	90		(ii) a home-based microschool;
90	91		43
91	92		(iii) a private school; or
92	93		44
93	94		(iv) a school within the public education system.
94	95		45
95	96		(6) "Minor" means an individual who is under 18 years old.
96	97		46
97	98		(7) "Parent" includes:
98	99		47
99	100		(a) a custodial parent of the minor;
100	101		48
101	102		(b) a legally appointed guardian of a minor; or
102	103		49
103	104		(c) any other person purporting to exercise any authority over the minor which could be
104	105		50
105	106		exercised by a person described in Subsection (7)(a) or (b).
106	107		51
107	108		(8) "School day" means the portion of a day that school is in session in which a school-age
108	109		52
109	110		child is required to be in school for purposes of receiving instruction.
110	111		53
111	112		(9) "School year" means the period of time designated by a local school board or charter
112	113		54
113	114		school governing board as the school year for the school where the school-age child:
114	115		55
115	116		(a) is enrolled; or
116	117		56
117	118		(b) should be enrolled, if the school-age child is not enrolled in school.
118	119		57
119	120		(10) "School-age child" means a minor who:
120	121		58
121	122		(a) is at least six years old but younger than 18 years old; and
122	123		59
123	124		(b) is not emancipated.
124	125		60
125	126		(11)(a) "Truant" means a condition in which a school-age child, without a valid excuse,
126	127		61
127	128		and subject to Subsection (11)(b), is absent for at least:
128	129		62
129	130		(i) half of the school day; or
130		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy S.B. 279
131	131		63
132	132		(ii) if the school-age child is enrolled in a learner verified program, as that term is
133	133		64
134	134		defined by the state board, the relevant amount of time under the LEA's policy
	135	+	- 2 - 02-13 15:10 S.B. 279
135	136		65
136	137		regarding the LEA's continuing enrollment measure as it relates to truancy.
137	138		66
138	139		(b) A school-age child may not be considered truant under this part more than one time
139	140		67
140	141		during one day.
141	142		68
142	143		(12) "Truant minor" means a school-age child who:
143	144		69
144	145		(a) is subject to the requirements of Section 53G-6-202 or 53G-6-203; and
145	146		70
146	147		(b) is truant.
147	148		71
148	149		(13)(a) "Valid excuse" means:
149	150		72
150	151		(i) an illness, which may be either mental or physical, regardless of whether the
151	152		73
152	153		school-age child or parent provides documentation from a medical professional;
153	154		74
154	155		(ii) mental or behavioral health of the school-age child;
155	156		75
156	157		(iii) a family death;
157	158		76
158	159		(iv) an approved school activity;
159	160		77
160	161		(v) an absence permitted by a school-age child's:
161	162		78
162	163		(A) individualized education program; or
163	164		79
164	165		(B) Section 504 accommodation plan;
165	166		80
166	167		(vi) competition in a rodeo sanctioned by an international, non-profit organization
167	168		81
168	169		dedicated to the development of sportsmanship, horsemanship, and character in
169	170		82
170	171		youth through the sport of rodeo;
171	172		83
172	173		[(vi)] (vii) an absence permitted in accordance with Subsection 53G-6-803(5); or
173	174		84
174	175		[(vii)] (viii) any other excuse established as valid by a local school board, charter
175	176		85
176	177		school governing board, or school district.
177	178		86
178	179		(b) "Valid excuse" does not mean a parent acknowledgment of an absence for a reason
179	180		87
180	181		other than a reason described in Subsections (13)(a)(i) through [(vi)] (vii), unless
181	182		88
182	183		specifically permitted by the local school board, charter school governing board, or
183	184		89
184	185		school district under Subsection [(13)(a)(vi)] (13)(a)(viii).
185	186		90
186	187		Section 2. Effective Date.
187	188		91
188	189		This bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.
189	190		- 3 -