Chronic absenteeism is trending in the right direction—dropping from its peak of 28 percent in 2022 to 23 percent in 2024—but it remains a significant challenge nationwide. While student attendance has traditionally been managed at the local level, state lawmakers are increasingly stepping in with legislation focused on early intervention, improved data collection, and supportive strategies to keep students in school.
Unlike truancy, which focuses on unexcused absences and often carries legal penalties, chronic absenteeism includes all absences—excused or not—recognizing that any missed instructional time can negatively impact student outcomes. Many states are now moving away from punitive truancy policies and instead focusing on identifying at-risk students early and offering appropriate supports.
FutureEd has identified 49 bills across 20 states this session addressing chronic absenteeism and attendance challenges. While the primary focus is on legislation specifically targeting chronic absenteeism, the scan also includes bills that revise truancy laws—particularly where those revisions signal a shift in disciplinary approaches or address punitive measures.
So far this session, one bill has been enacted:
- Virginia’s HB 2601 requires schools to strengthen their attendance tracking, maintaining not only a daily record of attendance at the start of the school day but also class-by-class records to ensure more accurate and detailed data.
[See 2024 legislation]
Other bills continue to move through state legislatures, with several proposing broader reforms aimed at identifying and addressing absenteeism systemically. Indiana’s SB 319 would create a statewide framework that includes early warning systems, tiered interventions, new attendance policies aligned with state guidance, and improved data reporting. In New Jersey, S 4116 would require school districts with high absenteeism rates to create attendance review teams and directs the state education department to develop prevention and intervention plans for districts to adopt. Washington’s SB 5007 proposes strengthening educator training, implementing early warning systems, and funding community partnerships that emphasize family engagement and student support through an expanded dropout prevention initiative.
Some states are piloting attendance-focused programs and public awareness campaigns, though these efforts often fall short of addressing the root causes of absenteeism. In Hawaii, one bill proposes a pilot program offering ice cream incentives for good attendance at an elementary school. Utah’s HB 206 would provide up to $400 annually in 529 savings account deposits to 100 families across five pilot schools to improve student attendance. Minnesota’s HF 2043 allocates $250,000 for a marketing campaign to raise awareness about the importance of attendance and its impact on learning.
Several legislatures are also reconsidering the disciplinary response to absenteeism. Bills in Indiana (HB 1201), Georgia (SB 123), and Florida (HB 1367) would prohibit suspensions or expulsions based solely on attendance and instead require schools to develop supportive interventions and family engagement strategies. In contrast, New Mexico’s HB 432 would impose fines or possible jail time on parents for allowing repeated student absences.
States are also refining how absenteeism is defined, tracked, and reported. Indiana’s HB 1201 formally defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason, while also distinguishing between excused and unexcused absences. Iowa’s SF 88 would excuse one absence per year for students participating in civic or political events and exclude that absence from chronic absenteeism calculations. Virginia’s HB 1788 proposes excluding “unexpected excused absences” from the chronic absenteeism count under the state’s school accountability framework. Meanwhile, Oklahoma is considering removing chronic absenteeism from its school report card entirely, proposing to replace it with school climate surveys or measures of instructional time. At the same time, other states, including Indiana through SB 319, are calling for more detailed reporting to improve transparency and strengthen accountability.
Finally, several states are prioritizing research to better understand the absenteeism problem. Maryland is considering multiple bills, including HB 879, which would create a statewide task force to study chronic absenteeism; HB 1442, which calls for an evaluation of existing truancy reduction programs; and HB 523, which would require quarterly reports over the next decade on the root causes of absenteeism.
We will continue to monitor and update the tracker as new bills are introduced and progress through the legislative process.