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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Bill 3206
Sponsored by Representative NGUYEN H; Representatives MCLAIN, RUIZ, WRIGHT, Senator WEBER (Presession
filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced.The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Tells ODE to take actions about how school districts record and respond to student
absences. (Flesch Readability Score:67.5).
Directs the Department of Education to review, make recommendations and develop procedures
related to the recording of student absences and how school districts respond to student absences.
Requires school districts to report to the department when a student is not considered to have
regular attendance.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the recording of student absences; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 339.065.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. (1) The Department of Education shall review, make recommendations and
develop procedures related to:
(a) The recording of student absences by school districts; and
(b) School district responses to student absences that exceed 10 days.
(2) For the purpose of subsection (1) of this section, the department shall:
(a) Review state requirements for determining if a student is on a school district’s active
roll, as those requirements are prescribed by rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
(b) Make recommendations for possible changes to rules that establish state require-
ments for determining if a student is on a school district’s active roll.
(c) Develop a common coding system for school districts to record and report student
absences for the purposes of ORS 339.065.
(d) Develop a procedure for school districts to report to the department when a student
no longer is on the school district’s active roll.
(3)(a) Not later than May 31, 2026, the department shall provide a report to:
(A) The interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education; and
(B) The State Board of Education.
(b) The report required under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall:
(A) Summarize the review conducted and the recommendations and procedures developed
as described in subsection (2) of this section; and
(B) Recommend any changes in administrative rules and legislation.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027.
SECTION 3. ORS 339.065 is amended to read:
339.065. (1) In estimating regular attendance for purposes of the compulsory attendance pro-
visions of ORS 339.005 to 339.030, 339.040 to 339.125, 339.137 and 339.420, the principal or teacher
shall consider all unexcused absences. Eight unexcused one-half day absences in any four-week pe-
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2355 HB3206
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riod during which the school is in session shall be considered irregular attendance.
(2)(a) An absence may be excused by a principal or teacher if the absence is caused by:
(A) The pupil’s sickness, including the mental or behavioral health of the pupil;
(B) The sickness of some member of the pupil’s family; or
(C) An emergency.
(b) In addition to the reasons identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection, a principal or
teacher:
(A) Shall excuse not more than seven days of absences during the school year if the pupil is a
dependent of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is on active duty or who is
called into active duty. For the purpose of this subparagraph, “Armed Forces of the United States”
includes:
(i) The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard of the United States;
(ii) Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard of the
United States; and
(iii) The National Guard of the United States and the Oregon National Guard.
(B) May excuse absences for other reasons when satisfactory arrangements are made in advance
of the absence.
(3)(a) Any pupil may be excused from attendance by the district school board for a period not
to exceed five days in a term of three months or not to exceed 10 days in any term of at least six
months. Any such excuse shall be in writing directed to the principal of the school that the pupil
attends.
(b) When calculating the number of excused absences under this subsection, any absences ex-
cused under subsection (2)(b)(A) of this section shall not be counted.
(4) The Department of Education shall develop, and a school district shall implement, a
common coding system for reporting absences. Each school district shall report to the de-
partment when a student is not considered to have regular attendance, as prescribed by the
coding system and rules adopted by the State Board of Education.
SECTION 4. (1) The amendments to ORS 339.065 by section 3 of this 2025 Act become
operative on July 1, 2026.
(2) The amendments to ORS 339.065 by section 3 of this 2025 Act first apply to the
2026-2027 school year.
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