# Indiana SB 482: Absenteeism and student discipline. Indiana SB 482, Absenteeism and student discipline., is a First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Stacey Donato (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-06 (Public Law 208) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB482-2025 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Indiana SB 482 - State: Indiana - Session: First Regular Session 124th General Assembly (2025) - Title: Absenteeism and student discipline. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-13 - Last action: 2025-05-06, Public Law 208 - Sponsor: Stacey Donato (Republican) - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: education and career development, the house, education - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 4 (263 yes, 25 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary 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. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Stacey Donato (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: J.D. Ford (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Julie McGuire (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Linda Rogers (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Michelle Davis (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-24 | Senate | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate | pass | 48 | 2 | | | 2025-04-23 | House | Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House | pass | 84 | 8 | | | 2025-04-15 | House | Third reading: passed | pass | 82 | 15 | | | 2025-02-04 | Senate | Third reading: passed | pass | 49 | 0 | | ## Actions (34) - 2025-05-06: Public Law 208 (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Signed by the Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-29: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Signed by the Speaker (House) - 2025-04-24: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the Senate; Roll Call 511: yeas 48, nays 2 (Senate) - 2025-04-24: Signed by the President Pro Tempore (Senate) - 2025-04-23: Rules Suspended. Conference Committee Report 1: adopted by the House; Roll Call 539: yeas 84, nays 8 (House) - 2025-04-23: CCR # 1 filed in the House (House) - 2025-04-23: CCR # 1 filed in the Senate (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Concurrence withdrawn (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-21: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Dissent rescinded (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Motion to concur filed (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate advisors appointed: Ford J.D. and Rogers (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Senate conferees appointed: Donato and Hunley (Senate) - 2025-04-16: House conferees appointed: Davis and Smith V (House) - 2025-04-16: Senate dissented from House amendments (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Motion to dissent filed (Senate) - 2025-04-16: Returned to the Senate with amendments (House) - 2025-04-16: House advisors appointed: Behning, Payne, Klinker, Pfaff and DeLaney (House) - 2025-04-15: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 456: yeas 82, nays 15 (House) - 2025-04-14: Second reading: ordered engrossed (House) - 2025-04-09: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (House) - 2025-03-03: First reading: referred to Committee on Education (House) - 2025-02-05: Referred to the House (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Third reading: passed; Roll Call 77: yeas 49, nays 0 (Senate) - 2025-02-04: House sponsor: Representative Davis (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Cosponsor: Representative McGuire (Senate) - 2025-02-03: Second reading: ordered engrossed (Senate) - 2025-01-30: Committee report: amend do pass, adopted (Senate) - 2025-01-28: Senator Ford J.D. added as coauthor (Senate) - 2025-01-13: Authored by Senators Donato and Rogers (Senate) - 2025-01-13: First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.04.ENRH?format=pdf) - Introduced Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.01.INTR?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (H): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.02.COMS?format=pdf) - Senate Bill (S): [PDF](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related bills - SB 324: Criminal procedures. (signed) - SB 231: Various corrections matters. (signed) - SB 80: Code publication. (signed) - SB 453: Various tax matters. (signed) - SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit. (signed) - SB 371: Workforce matters. (signed) ## Sources - [Enrolled Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.04.ENRH?format=pdf) - [Introduced Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.01.INTR?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (H) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.02.COMS?format=pdf) - [Senate Bill (S) (PDF)](https://api.iga.in.gov/2025/bills/SB0482/versions/SB0482.03.COMH?format=pdf) ## Related - [SB 324: Criminal procedures.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB324-2025) - [SB 231: Various corrections matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB231-2025) - [SB 80: Code publication.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB80-2025) - [SB 453: Various tax matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB453-2025) - [SB 464: Financial institutions and consumer credit.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB464-2025) - [SB 371: Workforce matters.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB371-2025) - [Indiana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana/bills) - [Indiana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/indiana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/IN-SB482-2025 (as of 2026-10-17).