Assembly BillChaptered/SignedPenal
AB 461: Truancy.
What AB 461 does, verified December 7, 2025
This bill would repeal a criminal offense that makes parents or guardians of children between 6 and 18 years old guilty of a misdemeanor if their child is a chronic truant and the parent or guardian fails to reasonably supervise and encourage the child's school attendance. The offense was punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, or both. The bill would remove this penalty, effectively ending prosecution for parents or guardians who fail to ensure their child's attendance at school.
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6ChapteredCurrent
Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 154, Statutes of 2025. (2025-10-01)Alert me
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| Oct. 01, 2025 | Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 154, Statutes of 2025. |
| Oct. 01, 2025 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Sep. 22, 2025 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Sep. 10, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 14. Page 3234.). |
| Sep. 10, 2025 | Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 60. Noes 14.). |
Latest bill textChaptered version, October 1, 2025 · 221 words
Assembly Bill No. 461
CHAPTER 154
An act to repeal Section 270.1 of the Penal Code, relating to truancy.
[ Approved by Governor October 01, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 01, 2025. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 461, Ahrens. Truancy.
Existing law, the Compulsory Education Law, generally makes persons between the ages of 6 and 18 years of age subject to compulsory full-time education, unless exempted.
Existing law makes a parent or guardian of a pupil of 6 years of age or more who is in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 8, inclusive, and subject to compulsory full-time or continuing education, whose child is a chronic truant, as defined, who has failed to reasonably supervise and encourage the pupil’s school attendance, and who has been offered support services to address the pupil’s truancy, guilty of a misdemeanor that is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000, or imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, or both that fine and imprisonment.
This bill would repeal that criminal offense.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the More Help Not Less Act of 2025.SEC. 2.
Section 270.1 of the Penal Code is repealed.Text of AB 461 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions