Sen. John Whitmire says it's time for Texas to decriminalize skipping school.

"Twelve-, 13-year-olds being ticketed for truancy – the ticket doesn't mean anything to them,” Whitmire said. “They do not give it to their parents. They don't go to court."

Whitmire says it's a school issue that should be handled there rather than in a courtroom.

"Then when they're 17 and they're in school, they call the student out of class to clear up a warrant. They handcuff them, take them to the Harris County Jail. That's just one of the horror stories,” he said.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht has heard his fair share of stories too.

"There were close to 100,000 criminal charges against school children in the last fiscal year,” Hecht said.

Currently, students with three unexcused absences in four weeks or 10 unexcused absences in six months can face a Class C misdemeanor, which is punishable by a fine up to $500. But Hecht says the bigger burden is the criminal conviction left behind.

"This has a potential impact on future housing, education, military service and all aspects of the child growing up to be an adult's life,” he said.

But lessening the criminal aspect of playing hooky has its opposition.

"I'm in opposition to this because I don't think our truancy laws are broken; we don't need to fix them,” Montgomery County Judge Wayne Mack said. “They're working really good."

Mack says changing the law would only make it harder for educators to keep kids in school.

"We're the last resort, and on a regular basis, I see children that are just making bad decisions,” Mack said. “With it being a criminal offense, we're able to draw a line in the sand and affect change and redirect that behavior."

If Whitmire's bill passes, truancy would be a misdemeanor punishable by fines starting at $100. Schools would also be required to implement a “behavior improvement plan” as a way to prevent future truancy.

If a parent is contributing to their child's lack of attendance, they can be still be held accountable under the bill and fined up to $500.