Bill Text: TX SB52 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to excused absences from public school for a student's mental or behavioral health.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-03 - Referred to Education K-16 [SB52 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB52-Introduced.html
| 89R678 PRL-F | ||
| By: Zaffirini, Cook | S.B. No. 52 | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to excused absences from public school for a student's | ||
| mental or behavioral health. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by | ||
| adding Subsection (b-9) and amending Subsection (d) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (b-9) A school district shall excuse a student from | ||
| attending school for a maximum of five days in a school year so that | ||
| the student may seek or receive mental or behavioral health | ||
| treatment, support, or diagnosis with documentation from the | ||
| student's health care professional. The board of trustees of a | ||
| school district may adopt a policy to allow a student to be excused | ||
| for an absence related to mental or behavioral health treatment, | ||
| support, or diagnosis without documentation from the student's | ||
| health care professional. The policy may require the student to: | ||
| (1) provide documentation from a previous visit with a | ||
| health care professional related to the student's mental or | ||
| behavioral health; or | ||
| (2) be seen by the school counselor or a similarly | ||
| qualified district professional: | ||
| (A) with written consent from the student's | ||
| parent or guardian; or | ||
| (B) if applicable, in accordance with Section | ||
| 32.004, Family Code. | ||
| (d) A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b), | ||
| (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-7), (b-8), (b-9), or (c) may not be | ||
| penalized for that absence and shall be counted as if the student | ||
| attended school for purposes of calculating the average daily | ||
| attendance of students in the school district. A student whose | ||
| absence is excused under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), | ||
| (b-5), (b-7), (b-8), (b-9), or (c) shall be allowed a reasonable | ||
| time to make up school work missed on those days. If the student | ||
| satisfactorily completes the school work, the day of absence shall | ||
| be counted as a day of compulsory attendance. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 | ||
| school year. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
