VOTE: NO – Governor Brown Signed into Law
Status (overview) of bill: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/HB2191
This bill expands reasons for excused absences from school to include mental or behavioral health.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
Allowing students to be absent for mental or behavioral health is not the responsible behavior that is training for success in college or employment. If they are sick, it is already excused, so this will allow for abuse when homework isn’t done, or unprepared for an exam, or just don’t feel like it.
Limited Government
ORS 339.065 allows an absence be excused by a principal or teacher if the absence is caused by the student’s sickness, the sickness of some family member, or an emergency. It also allows a principal or teacher to excuse absences for other reasons where satisfactory arrangements are made in advance of the absence. HB 2191 allows a student to be excused in school if the absence is caused by the mental or behavioral health of the student.
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