Sec. 17. (a) To retain eligibility for TANF assistance under this article, a recipient of TANF assistance and a dependent child who is a recipient of TANF assistance must attend school if all of the following apply:

(1) The recipient or the dependent child meets the compulsory attendance requirements under IC 20-33-2.

(2) The recipient or the dependent child has not graduated from a high school or has not obtained a high school equivalency certificate (as defined in IC 12-14-5-2).

(3) The recipient or the dependent child is not excused from attending school under IC 20-33-2-14 through IC 20-33-2-17.

(4) The recipient or the dependent child does not have good cause for failing to attend school, as determined by rules adopted by the director under IC 4-22-2.

(5) If the recipient or the dependent child is the mother of a child, a physician has not determined that the recipient or the dependent child should delay returning to school after giving birth.

     (b) A recipient or the dependent child of a recipient described in subsection (a) who has more than three (3) unexcused absences during a school year is subject to revocation or suspension of assistance as provided in section 18 of this chapter.

     (c) The director, in consultation with the department of education, shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to establish a definition for the term “unexcused absence”.

As added by P.L.46-1995, SEC.17. Amended by P.L.1-2005, SEC.130; P.L.161-2007, SEC.19.