EXCUSED ABSENCE; SOUNDING "TAPS"                                                        H.B. 4343:

                                                                              SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL

                                                                                                         IN COMMITTEE

House Bill 4343 (as passed by the House)

Sponsor:  Representative Kevin Coleman

House Committee:  Education

Senate Committee:  Education and Career Readiness

Date Completed:  10-25-21

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Revised School Code to require a public school to consider a pupil's absence an excused absence if the pupil were absent because he or she was sounding "Taps" at a Michigan veteran's funeral, and to require a board of school district or intermediate school district (ISD) or board of directors of a public school academy (PSA) ensure that its attendance policy was consistent with the bill.

Specifically, notwithstanding any provision of the Code to the contrary, if a public school pupil enrolled in grades 6 to 12 were absent from school for up to one full school day because the pupil was sounding "Taps" at a military honors funeral that was held in Michigan for a deceased veteran, the school's officials would have to consider that absence to be an excused absence. Notwithstanding any provision of the Code to the contrary, the board of a school district or ISD or board of directors of PSA would have to ensure that its attendance policy was consistent with the above requirement. ("Taps" is a bugle call customarily played at United States military funerals.)

"Veteran" would mean that term as defined in Section 1 of Public Act 190 of 1965: an individual who served in the US Armed Forces, including the reserve components, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. The term includes an individual who died while on active duty in the US Armed Forces.

The bill would take effect 90 days after enactment.

Proposed MCL 380.1138a                                              Legislative Analyst:  Dana Adams

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on the State and only a potential one-time fiscal impact on local schools. Local schools could have to update attendance policies to be consistent with the bill. The costs associated with updating attendance policies likely would be minimal and within current operations.

                                                                                        Fiscal Analyst:  Cory Savino

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.