HB653
Excused student absences; visitation of immediate family members on active duty military, etc.
Status:
In Senate
Latest Action:
Feb. 9, 2026
Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
Chief Patron:
Hillary Pugh Kent (R)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Excused student absences for visitation of immediate family members in connection with deployment.
Allots five excused absences to any student whose immediate family member is active duty military and has received orders for, is on leave from, or has recently returned from deployment outside the United States for the purpose of visitation with such family member, provided that the student provides written documentation ... (More) verifying such leave or deployment if requested by the local school division. The bill requires the Board of Education to adopt regulations to provide that no such excused absence shall be counted toward the student's total absences for purposes of calculating chronic absenteeism or any other attendance-based indicator used in the state accountability system for public schools, including the School Performance and Support Framework. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104899D
- 01/13/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Education
- 01/23/2026 - House: Assigned HED sub: K-12 Subcommittee
- 01/23/2026 - House: Placed on Education Agenda
- 01/27/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 01/27/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 2-N)
- 01/29/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
- 01/30/2026 - House: Placed on Education Agenda
- 02/02/2026 - House: House committee offered
- 02/02/2026 - House: Reported from Education with substitute (13-Y 2-N)
- 02/02/2026 - House: Reported from Education with substitute (21-Y 1-N)
- 02/02/2026 - House: Committee substitute printed 26106668D-H1
- 02/04/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/05/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/05/2026 - House: committee substitute agreed to
- 02/05/2026 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 02/06/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House (94-Y 2-N 0-A)
- 02/09/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB653)
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Education and Health
