---
type: "Bill"
title: "SCH CD-CHRONIC/HABITUAL TRUANT"
description: "Amends the School Code. Provides that a chronic or habitual truant shall be defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% (instead of 10%) or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "97th"
identifier: "HB 3179"
citation: "Illinois HB 3179 (97th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2011-02-23"
last_action: "2011-07-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3f05264d-f1da-4e96-8422-d040ee27f440"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3179&GAID=11&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=60543&SessionID=84&GA=97"
source_hash: "5e49166f5229d4dc35d423c757c0e4ffc71d443c495f7588c21cd478e26c96ff"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 3179 (97th) — SCH CD-CHRONIC/HABITUAL TRUANT

Amends the School Code. Provides that a chronic or habitual truant shall be defined as a child who is subject to compulsory school attendance and who is absent without valid cause from such attendance for 5% (instead of 10%) or more of the previous 180 regular attendance days. Effective immediately.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB3179&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=60543&DocNum=3179&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB3179eng&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=60543&DocNum=3179&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09700HB3179enr&GA=97&SessionId=84&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=60543&DocNum=3179&GAID=11&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **108–6** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **57–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- John D. Cavaletto — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2011-02-23** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. John D. Cavaletto `filing`
- **2011-02-24** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-02-24** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-02-28** Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education Committee `referral-committee`
- **2011-03-09** Do Pass / Short Debate Elementary & Secondary Education Committee; 023-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-03-09** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Roger L. Eddy
- **2011-03-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Jerry L. Mitchell
- **2011-03-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Donald L. Moffitt
- **2011-03-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Sandra M. Pihos
- **2011-03-17** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2011-03-17** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2011-03-23** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dwight Kay
- **2011-03-30** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 108-006-001 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-03-31** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2011-03-31** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-03-31** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. John O. Jones
- **2011-03-31** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2011-03-31** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2011-04-27** Assigned to Education `referral-committee`
- **2011-05-05** Do Pass Education; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2011-05-05** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 6, 2011
- **2011-05-06** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2011-05-06** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 10, 2011
- **2011-05-12** Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2011-05-12** Passed Both Houses
- **2011-06-10** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2011-07-28** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2011-07-28** Effective Date July 28, 2011
- **2011-07-28** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 97-0218 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3f05264d-f1da-4e96-8422-d040ee27f440`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).