PARENTS in Texas could be hit with heftier fines as part of attempts to crack down on truancy.
Lawmakers have put forward tougher penalties – years after truancy was decriminalized by the state in 2015.
Gary VanDeaver, a Republican politician in the Texas House of Representatives, said he wants to put the “teeth” back into truancy laws, per the Dallas Morning News.
He has put forward a bill that would see the penalty for a first truancy offense rise to $400.
Penalties could rise to $800 depending on the number of offenses.
VanDeaver said the fines could be waived if parents go to classes, or if the student gets a high diploma score or signs up for the military.
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The lawmaker’s bill has been left pending in the committee stage, according to the Texas Legislature.
Before sweeping legislation in 2015, students risked arrest if they missed too much school.
Joe Cantu told the NBC affiliate WOAI: “I remember that I couldn’t believe that I was arrested for missing school.”
He told the outlet that he had been absent from school for two weeks for medical reasons.
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Cantu said that his mom couldn’t show the paperwork that proved his absence.
He said: “So that way it would force my family to show up to court for the truancy charges.”
Previously, parents could be fined up to $500 while students could be hit with a criminal record.
Students risked time in prison if their parents couldn’t afford the penalty.
Cops cracked down when students missed three days of school within four weeks.
But, truancy in Texas was decriminalized after Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law.
Texas State Senator John Whitmire said: “Most of the truancy issues involve hardships.
“To criminalize the hardships just doesn't solve anything. It costs largely low-income families. It doesn't address the root causes."
Abbott called on school districts to introduce preventative measures in a bid to crack down on truanting students.
Meanwhile, in Wyoming, compulsory education is required until students are 16 or complete the 10th grade.
Parents in breach of the laws could be hit with a penalty of up to 10 days in prison or a $25 fine.
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In Pennsylvania, parents could be hit with a fine that doesn’t exceed $300 for a truancy-related offense.
Lawyers at the Gamino Law Office have warned that parents of truanting students in Wisconsin may have to appear in court and be hit with a fine of up to $500.
