SENATE, No. 343

By Mr. Moore, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 343) of Richard T. Moore for legislation to encourage school attendance and to strengthen parental responsibility. Education.
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

AN ACT to encourage school attendance and to strengthen parental responsibility

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 76 of the general laws, as most recently appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended, by striking out the words “twenty dollars,” and inserting in place thereof, the words “fifty dollars for each day of absence in excess of seven day sessions or fourteen half day sessions, or one day of community service for each day of student absence in excess of the number herein, or both a fine of not less than fifty dollars and a day of community service for each day of excessive absence.  The court may order community service for the student in addition to, or in place of, the parents.”

SECTION 2.  Section 2 of said chapter 76 is hereby further amended, by inserting after the second sentence, the following new sentence:

For purposes of this section, a student who is late for school for more than ten days in a school year shall be considered to be absent for one-half day for each additional instance of tardiness in excess of ten recorded cases of tardiness in that school year.

SECTION 3.  Section 2 of said chapter 76 is hereby further amended, by inserting at the end thereof the following:

One half of all fines under the provisions of this section shall inure and be applied to the support of the public schools in the city, town, or district where the offense was committed, and the balance shall be retained by the court having jurisdiction.  In the case of penalties of community service, the school committee of the city, town, or district shall have the right of first refusal for assignment of community service workers.