2.__Jurisdiction.__The District Court has jurisdiction over the violations under subsection 1.

3.__Process.__Service of a summons on the parent pursuant to subsection 1 must be in accordance with the Maine Rules of Criminal Procedure.

4.__Disposition.__Upon conviction of a parent for a Class E crime as defined in subsection 1, the court may order a fine of not less than $25 for the first offense and not less than $50 for each subsequent offense.__In default of payment of the fine, the parent may be imprisoned for not more than 2 days for the first offense and not more than 5 days for each subsequent offense.__The court may also order the parent to participate in a parent-training class, attend school with the child, perform community service hours at the school or participate in counseling or other services as appropriate.

Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §6810, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 693, §§5 and 8, is amended to read:

§6810. Truancy

The penalty for truancy is outlined in section 5053 5053-A.

Sec. 7. 20-A MRSA §7405, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 775, §6, is further amended to read:

1. Enrollment. The superintendent of the school administrative unit in which a deaf or hard-of-hearing student resides, with the consent of that student's parent or legal guardian and in accordance with the limitations in section 5051 5051-A, may enroll that student in one of the center school programs or the satellite school programs. The sums necessary for tuition and room and board of the student while attending one of the center school programs or satellite school programs, as determined by the individualized education program of the student, must be paid by the school board.

SUMMARY

This bill amends the habitual truancy laws. It requires the superintendent to send a notice to the parent of a truant informing the parent that the child is truant and the child is required by law to attend school. The bill also requires the