EXCUSED STUDENT ABSENCE
Senate Bill 747
Sponsor: Sen. Valde Garcia
House Committee: Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security
Senate Committee: Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs
Complete to 12-4-07
A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 747 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 10-17-07
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require public school officials to consider a student's absence as an excused absence if the student were absent from school for up to one full school day because a parent or legal guardian was a service member being deployed on or returning from active duty.
The board of a school district or intermediate school district or board of directors of a public school academy (or charter school) would have to ensure that its attendance policy was consistent with the bill. The bill would not prohibit a public school from considering a longer absence (more than one full day) for this reason also to be an excused absence.
The bill would define "service member" to mean a member of the armed forces, a reserve branch of the armed forces, or the Michigan National Guard (the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard). "Armed forces" would be defined to mean that term in the Veteran Right to Employment Services Act (MCL 35.1092)—the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or other military force designated by Congress as part of the U.S. Armed Forces. "Active duty" would be defined to mean active duty under an Executive Order of the President of the United States, an act of Congress, or an order of the Governor.
MCL 380.1138
FISCAL IMPACT:
The bill would have no fiscal impact.
Fiscal Analyst: Mary Ann Cleary
Bethany Wicksall
■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.