Senate Bill 1151 Summary

• Students cannot be suspended or expelled solely for being truant or chronically absent.

• Students expelled under mandatory expulsion provisions for weapons, arson, or criminal sexual conduct must be referred to county human services or mental health programs within 3 days of expulsion.

• Expelled students can petition for reinstatement with different waiting periods based on grade level: 10 school days minimum for grades 5 and below (non-firearm cases), 60 school days for grades 5 and below (firearm/threat cases), and 150-180 school days for grade 6 and above.

• Reinstatement decisions are made by a committee of 2 school board members, 1 administrator, 1 teacher, and 1 parent, with recommendations based on factors including risk of harm, student maturity, school record, behavior since expulsion, and family cooperation.

• Defines "chronically absent" as missing 10% or more of scheduled school days in a school year; establishes that first 5 absences are excused with documentation, while absences 6 and beyond require specific documented reasons (illness, medical appointment, religious holiday, death in family, emergency, court appearance, educational opportunity, military service, or homelessness).