Relating to parent, legal guardian, and legal custodian attendance in court-ordered classes due to the actions of the parent’s, legal guardian’s, or legal custodian’s child, and providing penalties

This bill relates to parent, legal guardian, and legal custodian attendance in school and court-ordered classes due to the actions of the parent’s, legal guardian’s, or legal custodian’s child. The bill requires a child’s parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian (parent) to attend a class with the child if the child was ordered by a juvenile court to attend the class as a part of the child’s juvenile delinquency dispositional order. If a child has been adjudicated to have committed a delinquent act three or more times, the juvenile court shall require the child’s parent to attend a parental responsibility class. A parent failing to attend a class as ordered by a juvenile court commits a public offense. A first offense is a simple misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to 10 days or a fine of up to $100; a second offense is a serious misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to 20 days, a fine of up to $500, or both; and a third or subsequent offense is a serious misdemeanor punishable by confinement for up to 30 days, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. A court may order the parent, legal guardian, or legal custodian to perform unpaid community service instead of a fine or confinement for any offense. A parent that submits an affidavit showing the parent has made a good-faith effort to comply with the bill shall not be criminally liable under the bill upon court approval of the affidavit. Court-ordered attendance does not apply to a parent who does not have physical care of the parent’s child, and does not apply to a legal guardian or a legal custodian who is not an individual.