ASSEMBLY, No. 322

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblymen PASCRELL and ROCCO

An Act concerning pupil truancy and amending N.J.S.18A:38-31.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. N.J.S.18A:38-31 is amended to read as follows:

    18A:38-31. A parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of a child between the ages of six and 16 years, who [shall fail] fails to comply with any of the provisions of this article relating to his duties, [shall be deemed to be a disorderly person and shall be subject to a fine of not more than $25.00 for a first offense and not more than $100.00 for each subsequent offense, in the discretion of the court.]commits a petty disorderly persons offense. The court may infer that a parent, guardian or other person having charge and control of a child is in violation of this section if the child has 10 or more unexcused absences in a school year.

    In any such proceeding, the summons issuing therein, or in special circumstances a warrant, shall be directed to the alleged disorderly person and the child.

(cf: P.L.1980, c.153, s.1)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill provides that a court may infer that a parent, guardian, or other person having charge and control of a child will be subject to the penalty provided for in the bill for failure to assure that child’s attendance at school if the child has ten or more unexcused absences.

Increases the penalty for failure by a parent to ensure that a child attends school.