Brazil considers excused absences for students with disabilities during menstruation

A legislative proposal, PL 3115/26, is currently under analysis in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies to allow students with disabilities to have up to three consecutive days of excused absences per month during their menstrual period.

The bill aims to support adolescents with physical, cognitive, intellectual, sensory, or behavioral disabilities whose limitations may be aggravated during menstruation. To justify these absences, the legal guardian would only need to inform the school; the proposal explicitly prohibits requiring medical certificates or additional documentation, which proponents argue would place an undue burden on families and the healthcare system.

Under the proposed law, these excused absences could not result in academic failure due to attendance, disciplinary action, or exclusion from exams and extracurricular activities upon the student's return. Additionally, schools would be required to provide didactic materials and alternative methods for students to keep up with the curriculum while absent. The project also includes provisions for training educational professionals on menstrual dignity and the specific needs of these students.