HB 151 — Katelyn's Law.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2019 H 21 HOUSE BILL 151 Committee Substitute Favorable 3/5/19 Short Title:

Representative Lambeth.

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Education - K-12, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House February 25, 2019 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ADOPT RULES EXCUSING ABSENCES FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING A LEGISLATIVE EVENT AND ENSURING THAT CERTAIN EXCUSED ABSENCES DO NOT AFFECT A STUDENT'S PARTICIPATION IN AN APPROVED ATTENDANCE RECOGNITION PROGRAM.

(a) Rules.Definitions.

– As used in this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Legislative event.

– An event sanctioned by at least one chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly that a student attends for an educational, civic, or familial purpose, including, but not limited to, (i) service as a legislative page, (ii) attendance at the legislative swearing-in ceremony of a parent or grandparent, and (iii) attendance at an event in which the student's relative is receiving special recognition by the General Assembly.

(2) Parent.

– A parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a student.

(3) Relative.

– An individual who is related to a student within the third degree of kinship, including relation by legal adoption.

(4) Religious observance.

– A procedure, ceremony, custom, activity, or rite required by the faith of a student or a student's parent.

(b) Rules.

The Board shall prescribe (i) what shall constitute unlawful absence, (ii) what causes may constitute legitimate excuses for temporary nonattendance due to a student's physical or mental inability to attend or a student's participation in a valid educational opportunity such as service as a legislative pageevent or aservice Governor'sas page,alegislativepageor opportunity,a andGovernor's (iii)page,and(iii) underunderwhat what circumstances teachers,teachers,principals, principals, or superintendents may excuse pupils for nonattendance due to immediate demands of the farm or the home in certain seasons of the year in the several sections of the State.

(b)(c) Excused Absences.

– The rules shall at least require school principals to authorize excused absences as follows:

*H151-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 (1) a A minimum of two excused absences each academic year for religious observances required by the faith of a student or the student's parents.parents.observances.

(2) AttendanceWhenever ata student is unable to attend class because of a legislative event.

ATherules legislativemayrequirethat eventthestudent's isparents angivetheprincipal eventwrittennoticeof sanctioned by at least one chamber of the Northrequest Carolinafor Generalan Assemblyexcused thatabsence a studentreasonable attendsforantime educational,civic,orfamilialpurpose,including,butnotlimitedprior to,(i)serviceasto alegislativepage,(ii)attendanceat thelegislativeswearing-in ceremony of a parent or grandparent, and (iii) attendance at an event in which the student'sreligious relativeobservance. is receiving special recognition by the General Assembly.

(3)observance Serviceor aslegislative aevent. Governor's page.

(c)The Advancestudent Noticeshall andbe Missedgiven Work.the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance.observance or legislative event.

–(d) TheDuties rules may require that the student's parents give the principal written notice of theSchool requestOfficials. for an excused absence a reasonable time prior to the religious observance.

the absence.

The student shall be given the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed due to an excused absence for a religious observance.absence.

*H151-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 (d) Duties of School Officials.

115C-379(b)(2)115C-379(c) shall be eligible for participation in the program and the student's absence shall not be included as part of the student's record of attendance for the purposes of the program." SECTION 4.

Page 2 House Bill 151-Second151-First Edition