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Bill

HB 1017

School boards; excusing students from attendance at school; grounds; verified medical reasons.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Kathy Tran

Bill expands grounds for school excused absences to include verified medical reasons, clarifying when health-based absences won't count against attendance records.

Continued to next session in Education (Voice Vote)
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Bill Summary · HB 1017

Legislative bill overview

HB 1017 expands the grounds for which school boards may excuse students from attendance by adding "verified medical reasons" as an official justification. Currently, Virginia law allows excused absences for limited reasons; this bill broadens that category to include medical situations supported by documentation.

Why is this important

This change affects attendance policies that impact student academic records, truancy proceedings, and school funding formulas (which may be tied to daily attendance). It provides clearer guidance to school boards on handling medical absences and protects families from truancy penalties when legitimate health concerns require time away from school.

Potential points of contention

  • Definition ambiguity: "Verified medical reasons" lacks specificity—what documentation suffices? How do schools distinguish between minor illness and serious medical conditions? Broad interpretation could increase excused absences.
  • Implementation burden: Schools must establish verification procedures, potentially requiring doctor's notes for routine illnesses, creating administrative costs and barriers for low-income families without easy healthcare access.
  • Attendance accountability: Expanding excused absence categories may reduce overall attendance accountability and make it harder to identify chronic absenteeism patterns that signal deeper issues.

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

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