First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. 99-0105.01 Beth Braby SENATE BILL 99-038
STATE OF COLORADO
BY SENATORS Hernandez, Arnold, and Tebedo;
also REPRESENTATIVE Mace.
EDUCATION
APPROPRIATIONS
A BILL FOR AN ACT
101 CONCERNING AN INCREASE IN THE AGE FOR COMPULSORY SCHOOL
102 ATTENDANCE.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
adopted.)
Interim Committee on Dropout Rates in Secondary Schools.
Raises the age of public school students who must attend school from 16
to 17.
Makes a conforming amendment.
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. 22-33-104 (1), Colorado Revised Statutes, is
3 amended to read:
4 22-33-104. Compulsory school attendance. (1) Except as
5 otherwise provided in subsection (2) of this section, every child who has
6 attained the age of seven years and is under the age of sixteen SEVENTEEN
7 years, except as provided by this section, shall attend public school for at
8 least one thousand fifty-six hours if a secondary school pupil or nine
9 hundred sixty-eight hours if an elementary school pupil during each
10 school year; except that in no case shall a school or schools be in session
[ ] denotes HOUSE amendment. { } denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate material to be deleted from existing statute.
Page 2
1 for fewer than one hundred sixty days without the specific prior approval
2 of the commissioner of education.
3 SECTION 2. 22-33-107 (3) (a), Colorado Revised Statutes, is
4 amended to read:
5 22-33-107. Enforcement of compulsory school attendance.
6 (3) (a) As used in this subsection (3), a child who is "habitually truant"
7 means a child who has attained the age of seven years and is under the
8 age of sixteen SEVENTEEN years having four unexcused absences from
9 public school in any one month or ten unexcused absences from public
10 school during any school year. Absences due to suspension or expulsion
11 of a child shall be considered excused absences for purposes of this
12 subsection (3).
13 SECTION 3. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
14 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
15 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.