---
type: "Bill"
title: "SCH CD-EXCUSED ABSENCE-HOLIDAY"
description: "Amends the Compulsory Attendance of Pupils Article of the School Code. Provides that a child may be absent from a public school because of religious reasons, including the observance of a religious holiday or participation in religious instruction. Removes the provision that requires a school board to prescribe rules relative to absences for religious holidays, including a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a child's absence. Provides instead that a district superintendent shall develop and distribute to schools appropriate procedures with regard to an absence. Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "102nd"
identifier: "HB 169"
citation: "Illinois HB 169 (102nd)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Daniel Didech", "Ram Villivalam"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 35
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-01-19"
last_action: "2021-08-19"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f55f58e4-8fe2-44d4-85bf-f7f36e6a3b8d"
source_url: "https://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=169&GAID=16&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=128011&SessionID=110&GA=102"
source_hash: "8e65edfe17f96fc2888bb7e9c1501dc7c79b9d3073afd628ea4bfb107b008bce"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 169 (102nd) — SCH CD-EXCUSED ABSENCE-HOLIDAY

Amends the Compulsory Attendance of Pupils Article of the School Code. Provides that a child may be absent from a public school because of religious reasons, including the observance of a religious holiday or participation in religious instruction. Removes the provision that requires a school board to prescribe rules relative to absences for religious holidays, including a list of religious holidays on which it shall be mandatory to excuse a child's absence. Provides instead that a district superintendent shall develop and distribute to schools appropriate procedures with regard to an absence. Effective immediately.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://ilga.gov/legislation/102/HB/PDF/10200HB0169.pdf)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](https://ilga.gov/legislation/102/HB/PDF/10200HB0169eng.pdf)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://ilga.gov/legislation/102/HB/PDF/10200HB0169enr.pdf)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **57–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **108–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Daniel Didech — primary (person)
- Ram Villivalam — primary (person)
- Carol Ammons — cosponsor (person)
- Chris Bos — cosponsor (person)
- Dan Ugaste — cosponsor (person)
- Jacqueline Y. Collins — cosponsor (person)
- Jonathan Carroll — cosponsor (person)
- Rita Mayfield — cosponsor (person)
- Thomas Morrison — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-19** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Daniel Didech `filing`
- **2021-01-22** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-01-22** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-15** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Jonathan Carroll
- **2021-02-23** Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-03** Do Pass / Consent Calendar Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee; 023-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2021-03-04** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Consent Calendar
- **2021-04-05** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Carol Ammons
- **2021-04-13** Second Reading - Consent Calendar `reading-2`
- **2021-04-13** Held on Calendar Order of Second Reading - Consent Calendar `reading-2`
- **2021-04-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Consent Calendar
- **2021-04-14** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Rita Mayfield
- **2021-04-16** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Chris Bos
- **2021-04-16** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Morrison
- **2021-04-16** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Dan Ugaste
- **2021-04-16** Third Reading - Consent Calendar - Passed 108-000-000 `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-04-19** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2021-04-19** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-04-19** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Ram Villivalam
- **2021-04-19** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2021-04-19** Referred to Assignments `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-28** Assigned to Education `referral-committee`
- **2021-05-05** Postponed - Education
- **2021-05-12** Do Pass Education; 011-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2021-05-12** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading May 13, 2021
- **2021-05-12** Added as Alternate Chief Co-Sponsor Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins
- **2021-05-13** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2021-05-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 14, 2021
- **2021-05-24** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading ** May 25, 2021
- **2021-05-27** Third Reading - Passed; 057-000-000 `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-05-27** Passed Both Houses
- **2021-06-23** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-08-19** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2021-08-19** Effective Date August 19, 2021
- **2021-08-19** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 102-0406 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f55f58e4-8fe2-44d4-85bf-f7f36e6a3b8d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).