---
type: "Bill"
title: "Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused or Discretionary Absences for Civic Engagement"
description: "Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused or Discretionary Absences for Civic Engagement"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 575"
citation: "Maryland HB 575 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Addison", "Coley", "Ebersole", "Feldmark", "Mireku-North", "Palakovich Carr", "Pasteur", "Patterson", "Roberson", "Vogel", "Wilkins", "Wims", "Young"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 16
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-28"
last_action: "2026-05-26"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b0728494-c6dd-466f-bf5f-9ceaeeda40a7"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/hb0575?ys=2026RS"
source_hash: "d0fa84c8eb3c788a68ed65ca2b8d6d0c9877612ee0e0d68740e6d9b269090ba6"
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-md"]
---

# Maryland HB 575 (2026) — Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused or Discretionary Absences for Civic Engagement

## Version chain

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

1. **Chapter - Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused or Discretionary Absences for Civic Engagement** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_630_hb0575e.pdf)
2. **Enrolled - Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused or Discretionary Absences for Civic Engagement** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0575e.pdf)
3. **First - Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused Absences for Civic Engagement** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0575f.pdf)
4. **Third - Public Schools - Student Attendance - Excused Absences for Civic Engagement** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0575t.pdf)

## Votes

- On Third Reading — **114–16** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading and Final Passage (Hse concurred) — **114–20** (pass) · lower
- On Third Reading (Amend) — **43–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Addison — primary (person)
- Coley — primary (person)
- Ebersole — primary (person)
- Feldmark — primary (person)
- Mireku-North — primary (person)
- Palakovich Carr — primary (person)
- Pasteur — primary (person)
- Patterson — primary (person)
- Roberson — primary (person)
- Vogel — primary (person)
- Wilkins — primary (person)
- Wims — primary (person)
- Young — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-28** First Reading Ways and Means `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-04** Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2026-03-19** Favorable with Amendments Report by Ways and Means `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-19** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-03-19** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2026-03-20** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-03-23** Referred Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-26** Hearing 4/07 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2026-04-13** Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-13** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2026-04-13** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2026-04-13** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-04-13** House Concurs Senate Amendments
- **2026-04-13** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2026-04-13** Passed Enrolled
- **2026-05-26** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 630 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b0728494-c6dd-466f-bf5f-9ceaeeda40a7`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).