CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
House Bill 0697




    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 697

        By Representative Byrd






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to reports by school personnel

  3         of students' suspected unlawful acts; amending

  4         s. 232.277, F.S., relating to reports of

  5         suspected substance or alcohol abuse; creating

  6         the "1997 Student Drug and Alcohol Zero

  7         Tolerance Act"; providing legislative intent;

  8         requiring notification to law enforcement

  9         agencies of suspected unlawful acts involving

10         use, possession, or sale of a controlled

11         substance, counterfeit controlled substance,

12         alcoholic beverage, or model glue; requiring

13         notification to the reported student's parent,

14         guardian, or legal custodian; providing an

15         effective date.

16

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

18

19         Section 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as

20  the "1997 Student Drug and Alcohol Zero Tolerance Act."

21         Section 2.  Section 232.277, Florida Statutes, is

22  amended to read:

23         232.277  Reports of suspected substance or alcohol

24  abuse; exemption from liability.--

25         (1)  School personnel are required to report to the

26  principal or principal's designee any suspected unlawful use,

27  possession, or sale by a student of any controlled substance,

28  as defined in s. 893.02; any counterfeit controlled substance,

29  as defined in s. 831.31; any alcoholic beverage, as defined in

30  s. 561.01(4); or model glue.  School personnel are exempt from

31  civil liability when reporting in good faith to the proper

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 1997                 HB 697

    577-103A-97






  1  school authority such suspected unlawful use, possession, or

  2  sale by a student.  Only a principal or principal's designee

  3  is authorized to contact a parent or legal guardian of a

  4  student regarding this situation.

  5         (2)(a)  It is the intent of the Legislature that all

  6  school students understand that the magnitude of the harm

  7  caused by unlawful use, possession, or sale of the substances

  8  set forth in subsection (1) mandates the reporting of

  9  occurrences of such unlawful acts to law enforcement for them

10  to be prosecuted as appropriate.

11         (b)  School personnel shall timely forward reports made

12  under subsection (1) to an appropriate law enforcement agency,

13  in order to ensure that the suspected offenses by students are

14  brought to the attention of law enforcement and to facilitate

15  prosecution of appropriate cases.

16         (c)  School personnel shall timely notify the student's

17  parent, guardian, or legal custodian that a report made under

18  subsection (1) with respect to the student has been made and

19  forwarded as provided for in this section.

20         Section 3.  This act shall take effect October 1, 1997.

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22            *****************************************

23                          HOUSE SUMMARY

24
      Creates the "1997 Student Drug and Alcohol Zero Tolerance
25    Act." Provides legislative intent.  Requires notification
      to law enforcement agencies of suspected unlawful acts
26    involving student use, possession, or sale of a
      controlled substance, counterfeit controlled substance,
27    alcoholic beverage, or model glue.  Requires notification
      to the reported student's parent, guardian, or legal
28    custodian.

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