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Beginning the 83rd Legislative Session, Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R — Bedford) began working on HB 202, otherwise known as the Military Families bill.  The bill read that children of active duty service members will receive excused absence days for a student to visit with a parent, stepparent, or guardian.

Stickland commented on the passage of the bill saying, “We successfully carried this bill through the House and Senate chambers. The overwhelming support from both sides turned out to be a huge victory for our Texas military families.  They will now be able to spend invaluable time together while they cope with such a difficult situation.” The bill allows children of active duty members to have extra time to spend with parents about to deploy, or for those recuperating from the return from a deployment of four months or more.

Additionally, it protects schools by not penalizing them for allowing students to be absent in such situations.  This bill is effective immediately due to the overwhelming support in the legislature.  “I am proud to have brought forth this piece of legislation and see that solutions as simple as this, have the ability to bring people together.  The legislature’s ability to rally around such a great cause has helped our families of the armed forces.”