By: Bettencourt, et al.  S.B. No. 570          (In the Senate - Filed December 12, 2024; February 3, 2025,   read first time and referred to Committee on Education K-16;   April 7, 2025, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,   Nays 0; April 7, 2025, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT     relating to an attendance policy adopted by public schools to   prevent truancy.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 25.0916 to read as follows:          Sec. 25.0916.  ATTENDANCE POLICY. (a) In this section,   "parent" includes a person standing in parental relation.          (b)  The board of trustees of each school district and the   governing body of each open-enrollment charter school shall adopt   and implement an attendance policy to:                (1)  inform students and parents regarding the   importance of regular attendance; and                (2)  provide appropriate supports to students who fail   to regularly attend school.          (c)  An attendance policy adopted under this section must:                (1)  describe the benefits of regular attendance;                (2)  describe the consequences of failing to regularly   attend school, including the negative effects on:                      (A)  a student's academic progress; and                      (B)  a student and the student's family as a   result of referral to a truancy court for truant conduct under   Section 65.003(a), Family Code;                (3)  provide for a parent of a student enrolled in the   district or school to elect to receive notifications of the   student's absence from school for a day or part of a day, regardless   of whether the student's absence is excused or unexcused, through:                      (A)  e-mail or text message, if the district or   school has the capability to send notifications through those   methods; or                      (B)  first class mail, if the district or school   does not have the capability to send notifications as provided by   Paragraph (A);                (4)  provide for a meeting between a parent of a student   enrolled in the district or school and a school counselor,   principal, or appropriate administrator when the student becomes at   risk for engaging in truant conduct under Section 65.003, Family   Code, as provided by the policy, to discuss the student's behavior   and any conditions at the student's home that may be contributing to   the student's failure to attend school;                (5)  if a parent of a student enrolled in the district   or school fails to attend a meeting described by Subdivision (4),   authorize the school attendance officer to make a home visit or   otherwise contact the parent in the manner described by Section   25.091 to investigate the student's behavior and living conditions   and report the attendance officer's findings to the district or   school; and                (6)  establish guidelines to identify a student in need   of additional support and to refer the student to in-school or   out-of-school services aimed at addressing the student's failure to   regularly attend school.          (d)  At the beginning of each school year, each school   district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide a copy of   the attendance policy adopted under this section to the parent of   each student enrolled in the district or school.          SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026   school year.          SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2025.     * * * * *