--- type: "Bill" title: "Absenteeism and student discipline." description: "Defines \"chronically absent\". Requires the department of education (department) to do the following: (1) Create a list of best practices to reduce student discipline and absenteeism. (2) Study and prepare a report regarding the basis for the categorization of certain suspensions and expulsions. (3) Establish a categorization framework for excused absences based on the reason for the absence. (4) Collect certain information regarding absences from school corporations and charter schools and prepare and post a report regarding the information on the department's website. Provides that the absence policy adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must provide for the categorization of excused absences in accordance with the categorization framework established by the department. Allows a prosecuting attorney to conduct a meeting, collaborate, and make reasonable efforts to secure appropriate support services for a child and the child's family before filing an affidavit with regard to a violation of compulsory school attendance requirements. Amends the definition of \"absent student\" for purposes of the truancy prevention policy provisions. Requires a public school to hold an attendance conference not later than 10 instructional days (instead of five instructional days) after the student's fifth absence. Prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student solely because the student is chronically absent or a habitual truant." jurisdiction: "us/states/in" legislature: "Indiana General Assembly" session: "2025" identifier: "SB 482" citation: "Indiana SB 482 (2025)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["AGENCIES; Department of Education (DOE) and Secretary of Education", "CHILDREN AND MINORS; Generally", "CIVIL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Contracts and Legal Documents", "COURTS; Juvenile Courts", "COURTS; Trial Courts", "CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE; Prosecuting Attorneys (Non-Elected)", "SCHOOLS; Charter Schools", "SCHOOLS; Discipline", "SCHOOLS; Generally", "SCHOOLS; Officers and Employees (Other than Teachers)", "SCHOOLS; Private Schools", "SCHOOLS; Pupils (Other than Disciplinary Matters)"] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: ["Linda Rogers", "Michelle Davis", "Stacey Donato"] version_count: 4 action_count: 34 vote_count: 4 first_action: "2025-01-13" last_action: "2025-05-06" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d918f2a1-2f1b-45ed-855b-09ef9bd3a577" source_url: "https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/sb0482" source_hash: "59a3a7f5da92592881e235ef4b70aed3d4bf9e12bc3d476e36fd18c6bd348eb1" 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-in"] --- # Indiana SB 482 (2025) — Absenteeism and student discipline. Defines "chronically absent". Requires the department of education (department) to do the following: (1) Create a list of best practices to reduce student discipline and absenteeism. (2) Study and prepare a report regarding the basis for the categorization of certain suspensions and expulsions. (3) Establish a categorization framework for excused absences based on the reason for the absence. (4) Collect certain information regarding absences from school corporations and charter schools and prepare and post a report regarding the information on the department's website. Provides that the absence policy adopted by the governing body of a school corporation must provide for the categorization of excused absences in accordance with the categorization framework established by the department. Allows a prosecuting attorney to conduct a meeting, collaborate, and make reasonable efforts to secure appropriate support services for a child and the child's family before filing an affidavit with regard to a violation of compulsory school attendance requirements. Amends the definition of "absent student" for purposes of the truancy prevention policy provisions. Requires a public school to hold an attendance conference not later than 10 instructional days (instead of five instructional days) after the student's fifth absence. Prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student solely because the student is chronically absent or a habitual truant. ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **Enrolled Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/senate/bills/SB0482/SB0482.04.ENRH.pdf) 2. **Introduced Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/senate/bills/SB0482/SB0482.01.INTR.pdf) 3. **Senate Bill (H)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/senate/bills/SB0482/SB0482.02.COMS.pdf) 4. **Senate Bill (S)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/senate/bills/SB0482/SB0482.03.COMH.pdf) ## Votes - SB 482 - Davis - 3rd Reading — **82–15** (pass) · lower - SB 482 - Davis — **84–8** (pass) · lower - SB 482 - Donato — **48–2** (pass) · upper - SB 482 - Donato - 3rd Reading — **49–0** (pass) · upper ## Sponsors - Linda Rogers — primary (person) - Michelle Davis — primary (person) - Stacey Donato — primary (person) - J.D. Ford — coauthor (person) - Julie McGuire — cosponsor (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2025-01-13** First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development `reading-1, referral-committee` - **2025-01-13** Authored by Senators Donato and Rogers - **2025-01-28** Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor - **2025-01-30** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage` - **2025-02-03** Second reading: ordered engrossed `reading-2` - **2025-02-05** Referred to the House `referral` - **2025-02-04** Cosponsor: Representative McGuire - **2025-02-04** House sponsor: Representative Davis - **2025-02-04** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 77: yeas 49, nays 0 `passage, reading-3, reading-3` - **2025-03-03** First reading: referred to Committee on Education `reading-1, referral-committee` - **2025-04-09** Committee report: amend do pass, adopted `committee-passage` - **2025-04-14** Second reading: ordered engrossed `reading-2` - **2025-04-15** Third reading: passed; Roll Call 456: yeas 82, nays 15 `passage, reading-3, reading-3` - **2025-04-16** House advisors appointed: Behning, Payne, Klinker, Pfaff and DeLaney - **2025-04-16** Returned to the Senate with amendments `receipt` - **2025-04-16** Motion to dissent filed `filing` - **2025-04-16** Senate dissented from House amendments - **2025-04-16** House conferees appointed: Davis and Smith V - **2025-04-17** Senate conferees appointed: Donato and Hunley - **2025-04-17** Senate advisors appointed: Ford J.D. and Rogers - **2025-04-17** Motion to concur filed `filing` - **2025-04-17** Dissent rescinded - **2025-04-21** Motion to dissent filed `filing` - **2025-04-21** Senate dissented from House amendments - **2025-04-21** Concurrence withdrawn `withdrawal` - **2025-04-23** CCR # 1 filed in the Senate `filing` - **2025-04-23** CCR # 1 filed in the House `filing` - **2025-04-23** Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 539: yeas 84, nays 8 - **2025-05-06** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature` - **2025-04-24** Signed by the President Pro Tempore `passage` - **2025-04-29** Signed by the President of the Senate `passage` - **2025-04-24** Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 511: yeas 48, nays 2 - **2025-05-06** Public Law 208 `became-law` - **2025-04-25** Signed by the Speaker `passage` ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d918f2a1-2f1b-45ed-855b-09ef9bd3a577`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Indiana legislature records).