Permits school districts to define excused absences from school to include illness based on student's mental or behavioral health and requires Commissioner of Education to develop guidelines for defining excused absence for this reason.

This bill allows New Jersey school districts to count absences due to students' mental or behavioral health issues as excused. It requires the state Education Commissioner, in consultation with the Health Commissioner, to develop guidelines defining these absences and specifying required documentation (e.g., medical notes) for students returning after such absences. The policy directly affects public school students, districts, and state education officials by expanding eligibility for excused absences. The guidelines must be established before the policy takes effect in the second full school year after enactment.