A bill to help local educational agencies reduce chronic absenteeism and create safe learning environments in public elementary schools and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 23, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
This bill creates a federal grant program to help schools tackle student absenteeism and build safer learning environments. The legislation defines chronic absenteeism as students missing 10 percent or more of school days during a school year for any reason, and directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to state education agencies, which then distribute subgrants to local school districts. Schools can use the funding to hire counselors and mental health professionals, pay teachers for home visits, cover transportation costs, conduct research on absenteeism patterns, and implement other evidence-based programs. The bill prioritizes states with high absenteeism rates or vulnerable student populations. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must complete a study on chronic absenteeism and safe learning environments within one year of the bill's enactment and submit findings to Congress and the Education Department. Local school districts receiving subgrants must report back within three years on whether they successfully reduced absenteeism rates.
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