---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Include Student Absences For Mental Health Or Behavioral Health Needs As Excusable Absences"
description: "An Act To Include Student Absences For Mental Health Or Behavioral Health Needs As Excusable Absences"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "129"
identifier: "LD 1855"
citation: "Maine LD 1855 (129)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["SCHOOL POLICIES", "ATTENDANCE", "EXCUSABLE ABSENCES MENTAL HEALTH"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Joyce McCREIGHT"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 21
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2019-12-23"
last_action: "2020-02-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/7d1bdf14-a388-4169-bd18-167adc7ee6b7"
source_url: "http://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280075639"
source_hash: "42bacfe3539e3b6c5a9b08dd412f30011e433d39b1ed3d54fae48cb1e9f1a72e"
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-me"]
---

# Maine LD 1855 (129) — An Act To Include Student Absences For Mental Health Or Behavioral Health Needs As Excusable Absences

## Version chain

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

1. **Adopted Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1326&item=2&snum=129)
2. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1326&item=1&snum=129)
3. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1326&item=3&snum=129)

## Sponsors

- Joyce McCREIGHT — primary (person)
- Anne PERRY — cosponsor (person)
- Maureen TERRY — cosponsor (person)
- Ned CLAXTON — cosponsor (person)
- Richard FARNSWORTH — cosponsor (person)
- Victoria DOUDERA — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-12-23** Received by the Clerk of the House on December 19, 2019.
- **2019-12-23** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-06** Reports READ.
- **2020-02-06** On motion of Representative KORNFIELD of Bangor, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2020-02-06** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2020-02-06** Committee Amendment "A" (H-671) was READ and ADOPTED. `passage`
- **2020-02-06** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2020-02-06** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-671).
- **2020-02-06** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2020-02-11** Reports Read
- **2020-02-11** On motion by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. in concurrence
- **2020-02-11** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2020-02-11** Committee Amendment "A" (H-671) READ and ADOPTED in concurrence
- **2020-02-11** ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY.
- **2020-02-13** COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.
- **2020-02-13** READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-671), in concurrence. `reading-2`
- **2020-02-13** Ordered sent down forthwith.
- **2020-02-18** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2020-02-18** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2020-02-20** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2020-02-21** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/7d1bdf14-a388-4169-bd18-167adc7ee6b7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).