H 4735

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4735
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A joint Resolution
TO CREATE THE "TRUANCY ROOT CAUSE INTERVENTION STUDY
COMMITTEE" TO REVIEW AND RECOMMEND MODIFICATIONS TO CURRENT TRUANCY
INTERVENTION PROGRAMS TO ENSURE THE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF HOME
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND RELATED CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO INDIVIDUAL
INSTANCES OF TRUANCY, AND TO REQUIRE THE COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE LEGISLATIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BEFORE JULY 1, 2027.
Whereas,
the General Assembly finds that chronic student truancy is closely linked to
adverse academic, social, and developmental outcomes, including lower academic
achievement, higher dropout rates, and increased involvement with the juvenile
justice system; and
Whereas,
the General Assembly recognizes that truancy often stems from complex,
individualized circumstances including, but not limited to, unstable home
environments, unmet physical or mental health needs, transportation barriers,
caregiving responsibilities, and other social stressors affecting a child's
ability to attend school regularly; and
Whereas,
the General Assembly finds that existing truancy intervention programs may not
sufficiently or consistently investigate household conditions or underlying
contributing factors in each case, and that improving these programs to better
assess root causes is necessary to ensure more effective and targeted
interventions. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  (A) There is created the "Truancy Root Cause
Intervention Study Committee" to examine the adequacy of current truancy
intervention programs and determine what modifications are needed to ensure
that such programs meaningfully identify, investigate, and address
home-environment-related factors and other underlying circumstances
contributing to individual instances of student truancy.
    (B) The study
committee must:
       (1) review all
existing state-mandated and district-level truancy intervention procedures;
       (2) evaluate
the extent to which current interventions assess home environmental factors,
including household stability, caregiving responsibilities, health and safety
considerations, transportation access, and other relevant conditions, and the
degree to which school responses address these factors and attempt to mitigate
their impact in an effort to reduce truancy by the individual student;
       (3) consider
best practices from other states and national organizations regarding
individualized truancy assessment models;
       (4) identify
gaps in current law or policy related to investigating root causes of truancy;
and
       (5) develop
recommendations for statutory, regulatory, or programmatic changes necessary to
improve individualized truancy investigations and intervention effectiveness.
    (C) The study
committee must be composed of the following, with vacancies to be filled in the
manner of the original appointment:
       (1) three
members of the Senate, appointed by the Chairman of the Senate Education
Committee;
       (2) three
members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Chairman of the House
Education and Public Works Committee;
       (3) the State
Superintendent of Education, or his designee;
       (4) the
Director of the Department of Social Services, or his designee;
       (5) the
Director of the Children's Law Center at the University of South Carolina, or
his designee; and
       (6) two members
of the general public, appointed by the Governor, who have demonstrated
interest and expertise in child welfare issues or education.
    (D) The Senate
Education Committee and the House Education and Public Works Committee shall
provide appropriate staffing and administrative support for the study
committee.
    (E) The study
committee shall submit a written report, including legislative recommendations,
to the General Assembly on or before July 1, 2027, at which time the study
committee is dissolved.
SECTION 2.  This joint resolution takes effect
upon approval by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on December 17, 2025 at 01:43 PM