Chronic absenteeism usually means missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused. It differs from truancy, which focuses on unexcused absences and often involves legal consequences. State bills in 2026 are still targeting absenteeism, with debates over whether schools should use family outreach, transportation help, mental-health supports, stricter truancy rules, or public dashboards. Kids need to be in school, but a lot of absences come from messy real-life problems. I want schools to notice early and help families before the system jumps straight to threats.