SF 2882 Minnesota Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Attendance definition provision, reenrollment of students provisions, and children in need of protective services or educational neglect presumptions modifications

This bill amends Minnesota's education law to clarify how student attendance is counted for reporting purposes. It specifies that a student is counted as "in attendance" on any day a school employee is paid to supervise or provide services to them, replacing previous language. The change directly affects all public school students and school districts in Minnesota, impacting how attendance records are maintained for funding and compliance. The amendment takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not alter excused absence policies or student eligibility.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 24, 2025 Last action Mar 27, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → 1st Engrossment · 6 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

This bill expands exemptions for school attendance to include mental health conditions and family emergencies, lowers the age for presuming truancy from 12 to 16, and adds a requirement for school districts to actively encourage students to reenroll if they drop out. It also mandates that the Department of Education take responsibility for reenrolling children who have been removed from school rolls due to unexcused absences.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of allowable absences and extends the age range for truancy presumptions, while adding new enforcement and support mechanisms for students at risk of dropping out.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded legitimate exemptions from school attendance to include mental health diagnoses, family emergencies, and military duty.

Increased the age threshold for presuming truancy from 12 to 16 years old.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for principals to report students who drop out to county agencies for enrollment assistance.

Required individual student assessment reports to include the number and percentage of days the student was absent the previous year.

ENFORCEMENT

Mandated that school districts notify welfare agencies and families when students are dropped from rolls due to excessive absences.

Assigned the Department of Education the responsibility for reenrolling children who have been unenrolled from school.

Floor votes

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No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Education Finance

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Education Policy

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Introduced

Introduction and first reading

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors