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HB 4665

Education: attendance; excused absence from public school for participating in events offered by the National FFA Organization, the Michigan FFA, a 4-H club, or other livestock-related activities; provide for. Amends 1976 PA 451 (MCL 380.1 - 380.1852) by adding sec. 1138a.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kelly Breen and 7 co-sponsors

Michigan allows students excused absences for FFA, 4-H, and livestock activities, removing attendance penalties for agricultural education participation.

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
#agriculture:other #education:attendance #education:schooldistricts #education:students
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Bill Summary · HB 4665

Legislative bill overview

HB 4665 amends Michigan's education code to allow students to receive excused absences from public school for participating in events organized by the National FFA Organization, Michigan FFA, 4-H clubs, and other livestock-related activities. The bill grants schools the authority to excuse these absences without counting them against students' attendance records.

Why is this important

This policy recognizes agricultural and youth development programs as educationally valuable experiences by removing attendance penalties that might discourage student participation. For students in rural or agricultural communities where such activities are common, this removes a barrier between formal schooling and hands-on agricultural education. However, it also shifts responsibility to schools to implement the policy and raises questions about which activities qualify.

Potential points of contention

  • Defining scope: The bill references "livestock-related activities" without strict definition, potentially creating inconsistency in how schools interpret which activities qualify for excused absences
  • Equity concerns: Agriculture-focused excusals may benefit rural students more than urban/suburban students with different extracurricular opportunities, raising fairness questions about which activities receive official school support
  • Implementation burden: Schools must verify participation and track these absences separately, creating administrative work without additional funding specified in the bill

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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