SECTION 1. Section 16-19-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-19 entitled "Compulsory Attendance" is hereby amended to read as follows:

16-19-1. Attendance required -- Excuses for nonattendance. -- (a) Every child who has completed or will have completed six (6) years of life on or before December 31 of any school year and has not completed sixteen (16) years of life shall regularly attend some public day school during all the days and hours that the public schools are in session in the city or town in which the child resides. Every person having under his or her control a child as described in this section shall cause the child to attend school as required by this section, and for every neglect of this duty the person having control of the child shall be fined not exceeding fifty dollars ($50.00) for each day or part of a day that the child fails to attend school, and if the total of these days is more than thirty (30) school days during any school year, then the person shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned not exceeding six (6) months or shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both; provided, that if the person so charged shall prove that the child has attended for the required period of time a private day school approved by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education pursuant to section 16-60-6(10), or a course of at-home instruction approved by the school committee of the town where the child resides, or that the physical or mental condition of the child was such as to render his or her attendance at school inexpedient or impracticable, or that the child was excluded from school by virtue of some general law or regulation, then attendance shall not be obligatory nor shall the penalty be incurred;. but nothing in this section shall be construed to allow the absence or irregular attendance of any child who is enrolled as a member of any school, or of any child sent to school by the person having control of the child.

(b) Every child enrolled in school who completes or has completed sixteen (16) years of life and who has not yet attained eighteen (18) years of age shall regularly attend school during all the days and hours that the public schools are in session in the city or town in which the child resides unless the person having control of such child provides written permission to the school department of the city or town to terminate the child's enrollment. Provided, however, that nothing in this sections (a) or (b) shall prohibit or limit cities or towns from enacting programs of early intervention and/or mediation in an effort to address the problems of students who are habitually late or absent from school.

(b) (c) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or otherwise interfere with the rights of teachers and other school employees to collectively bargain pursuant to chapters 9.3 and 9.4 of title 28 or to allow any school committee to abrogate any agreement reached by collective bargaining.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.