Florida Senate - 2009                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1540
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 237592                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  03/25/2009           .                                
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       The Committee on Criminal Justice (Siplin) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 26 - 228
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subsection (4) and subsection
    6  (5) of section 1002.20, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    7         1002.20 K-12 student and parent rights.—Parents of public
    8  school students must receive accurate and timely information
    9  regarding their child’s academic progress and must be informed
   10  of ways they can help their child to succeed in school. K-12
   11  students and their parents are afforded numerous statutory
   12  rights including, but not limited to, the following:
   13         (4) DISCIPLINE.—
   14         (c) Corporal punishment.—
   15         1. In accordance with the provisions of s. 1003.32,
   16  corporal punishment of a public school student may only be
   17  administered by a teacher or school principal within guidelines
   18  of the school principal and according to district school board
   19  policy. Another adult must be present and must be informed in
   20  the student’s presence of the reason for the punishment. Upon
   21  request, the teacher or school principal must provide the parent
   22  with a written explanation of the reason for the punishment and
   23  the name of the other adult who was present.
   24         2.A district school board having a policy authorizing the
   25  use of corporal punishment as a form of discipline shall review
   26  its policy on corporal punishment once every 3 years during a
   27  district school board meeting held pursuant to s. 1001.372. The
   28  district school board shall take public testimony at the board
   29  meeting. If such board meeting is not held in accordance with
   30  this subparagraph, the portion of the district school board’s
   31  policy authorizing corporal punishment expires.
   32         (5) SAFETY.—In accordance with the provisions of s.
   33  1006.13(6) s. 1006.13(5), students who have been victims of
   34  certain felony offenses by other students, as well as the
   35  siblings of the student victims, have the right to be kept
   36  separated from the student offender both at school and during
   37  school transportation.
   38         Section 2. Subsection (4) of section 1006.09, Florida
   39  Statutes, is amended to read:
   40         1006.09 Duties of school principal relating to student
   41  discipline and school safety.—
   42         (4) When a student has been the victim of a violent crime
   43  perpetrated by another student who attends the same school, the
   44  school principal shall make full and effective use of the
   45  provisions of subsection (2) and s. 1006.13(6) s. 1006.13(5). A
   46  school principal who fails to comply with this subsection shall
   47  be ineligible for any portion of the performance pay policy
   48  incentive or the differentiated pay under s. 1012.22. However,
   49  if any party responsible for notification fails to properly
   50  notify the school, the school principal shall be eligible for
   51  the incentive or differentiated pay.
   52         Section 3. Section 1006.13, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   53  read:
   54         1006.13 Policy of zero tolerance for crime and
   55  victimization.—
   56         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote a safe
   57  and supportive learning environment in schools, to protect
   58  students and staff from conduct that poses a serious threat to
   59  school safety, and to encourage schools to use alternatives to
   60  expulsion or referral to law enforcement agencies by addressing
   61  disruptive behavior through restitution, civil citation, teen
   62  court, neighborhood restorative justice, or similar programs.
   63  The Legislature finds that zero-tolerance policies are not
   64  intended to be rigorously applied to petty acts of misconduct
   65  and misdemeanors, including, but not limited to, minor fights or
   66  disturbances. The Legislature finds that zero-tolerance policies
   67  must apply equally to all students regardless of their economic
   68  status, race, or disability.
   69         (2)(1) Each district school board shall adopt a policy of
   70  zero tolerance that for:
   71         (a) Defines criteria for reporting to a law enforcement
   72  agency any act that occurs whenever or wherever students are
   73  within the jurisdiction of the district school board.
   74         (b)Defines acts that pose a serious threat to school
   75  safety.
   76         (c)Defines petty acts of misconduct. Crime and substance
   77  abuse, including the reporting of delinquent acts and crimes
   78  occurring whenever and wherever students are under the
   79  jurisdiction of the district school board.
   80         (d)(b)Minimizes the victimization of students, staff, or
   81  volunteers, including taking all steps necessary to protect the
   82  victim of any violent crime from any further victimization.
   83         (e)Establishes a procedure that provides each student with
   84  the opportunity for a review of the disciplinary action imposed
   85  pursuant to s. 1006.07.
   86         (3)(2)Zero-tolerance policies must The zero tolerance
   87  policy shall require students found to have committed one of the
   88  following offenses to be expelled, with or without continuing
   89  educational services, from the student’s regular school for a
   90  period of not less than 1 full year, and to be referred to the
   91  criminal justice or juvenile justice system.
   92         (a) Bringing a firearm or weapon, as defined in chapter
   93  790, to school, to any school function, or onto any school
   94  sponsored transportation or possessing a firearm at school.
   95         (b) Making a threat or false report, as defined by ss.
   96  790.162 and 790.163, respectively, involving school or school
   97  personnel’s property, school transportation, or a school
   98  sponsored activity.
   99  
  100  District school boards may assign the student to a disciplinary
  101  program for the purpose of continuing educational services
  102  during the period of expulsion. District school superintendents
  103  may consider the 1-year expulsion requirement on a case-by-case
  104  basis and request the district school board to modify the
  105  requirement by assigning the student to a disciplinary program
  106  or second chance school if the request for modification is in
  107  writing and it is determined to be in the best interest of the
  108  student and the school system. If a student committing any of
  109  the offenses in this subsection is a student who has with a
  110  disability, the district school board shall comply with
  111  applicable State Board of Education rules.
  112         (4)(a)(3) Each district school board shall enter into
  113  agreements with the county sheriff’s office and local police
  114  department specifying guidelines for ensuring that acts that
  115  pose a serious threat to school safety felonies and violent
  116  misdemeanors, whether committed by a student or adult, and
  117  delinquent acts that would be felonies or violent misdemeanors
  118  if committed by an adult, are reported to a law enforcement
  119  agency. Each district school board shall adopt a cooperative
  120  agreement, pursuant to s. 1003.52(13) with the Department of
  121  Juvenile Justice, that specifies guidelines for ensuring that
  122  all no contact orders entered by the court are reported and
  123  enforced and that all steps necessary are taken to protect the
  124  victim of any such crime. Such
  125         (b)The agreements must shall include the role of school
  126  resource officers, if applicable, in handling reported
  127  incidents, special circumstances in which school officials may
  128  handle incidents without filing a report with a to law
  129  enforcement agency, and a procedure for ensuring that school
  130  personnel properly report appropriate delinquent acts and
  131  crimes.
  132         (c)Zero-tolerance policies may not require the reporting
  133  of petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors to a law
  134  enforcement agency, including, but not limited to, disorderly
  135  conduct, disrupting a school function, simple assault or
  136  battery, affray, theft of less than $300, trespassing, and
  137  vandalism of less than $1,000.
  138         (d) The school principal shall ensure be responsible for
  139  ensuring that all school personnel are properly informed as to
  140  their responsibilities regarding crime reporting, that
  141  appropriate delinquent acts and crimes are properly reported,
  142  and that actions taken in cases with special circumstances are
  143  properly taken and documented.
  144         (5)(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each
  145  district school board shall adopt rules providing that any
  146  student found to have committed any offense in a violation of s.
  147  784.081(1), (2), or (3) shall be expelled or placed in an
  148  alternative school setting or other program, as appropriate.
  149  Upon being charged with the offense, the student shall be
  150  removed from the classroom immediately and placed in an
  151  alternative school setting pending disposition.
  152         (6)(5)(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law prohibiting
  153  the disclosure of the identity of a minor, whenever any student
  154  who is attending a public school is adjudicated guilty of or
  155  delinquent for, or is found to have committed, regardless of
  156  whether adjudication is withheld, or pleads guilty or nolo
  157  contendere to, a felony violation of:
  158         1. Chapter 782, relating to homicide;
  159         2. Chapter 784, relating to assault, battery, and culpable
  160  negligence;
  161         3. Chapter 787, relating to kidnapping, false imprisonment,
  162  luring or enticing a child, and custody offenses;
  163         4. Chapter 794, relating to sexual battery;
  164         5. Chapter 800, relating to lewdness and indecent exposure;
  165         6. Chapter 827, relating to abuse of children;
  166         7. Section 812.13, relating to robbery;
  167         8. Section 812.131, relating to robbery by sudden
  168  snatching;
  169         9. Section 812.133, relating to carjacking; or
  170         10. Section 812.135, relating to home-invasion robbery,
  171  
  172  and, before or at the time of such adjudication, withholding of
  173  adjudication, or plea, the offender was attending a school
  174  attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of the
  175  offense, the Department of Juvenile Justice shall notify the
  176  appropriate district school board of the adjudication or plea,
  177  the requirements in of this paragraph, and whether the offender
  178  is prohibited from attending that school or riding on a school
  179  bus whenever the victim or a sibling of the victim is attending
  180  the same school or riding on the same school bus, except as
  181  provided pursuant to a written disposition order under s.
  182  985.455(2). Upon receipt of such notice, the district school
  183  board shall take appropriate action to effectuate the provisions
  184  in of paragraph (b).
  185         (b) Each district school board shall adopt a cooperative
  186  agreement with the Department of Juvenile Justice which
  187  establishes guidelines for ensuring that any no contact order
  188  entered by a court is reported and enforced and that all of the
  189  necessary steps are taken to protect the victim of the offense.
  190  Any offender described in paragraph (a), who is not exempted as
  191  provided in paragraph (a), may shall not attend any school
  192  attended by the victim or a sibling of the victim of the offense
  193  or ride on a school bus on which the victim or a sibling of the
  194  victim is riding. The offender shall be permitted by the
  195  district school board to attend another school within the
  196  district in which the offender resides, only if provided the
  197  other school is not attended by the victim or sibling of the
  198  victim of the offense; or the offender may be permitted by
  199  another district school board to attend a school in that
  200  district if the offender is unable to attend any school in the
  201  district in which the offender resides.
  202         (c) If the offender is unable to attend any other school in
  203  the district in which the offender resides and is prohibited
  204  from attending a school in another school district, the district
  205  school board in the school district in which the offender
  206  resides shall take every reasonable precaution to keep the
  207  offender separated from the victim while on school grounds or on
  208  school transportation. The steps to be taken by a district
  209  school board to keep the offender separated from the victim must
  210  shall include, but are not limited to, in-school suspension of
  211  the offender and the scheduling of classes, lunch, or other
  212  school activities of the victim and the offender so as not to
  213  coincide.
  214         (d) The offender, or the parents of the offender if the
  215  offender is a juvenile, shall arrange be responsible for
  216  arranging and pay paying for transportation associated with or
  217  required by the offender’s attending another school or that
  218  would be required as a consequence of the prohibition against
  219  riding on a school bus on which the victim or a sibling of the
  220  victim is riding. However, the offender or the parents of the
  221  offender may shall not be charged for existing modes of
  222  transportation that can be used by the offender at no additional
  223  cost to the district school board.
  224         (7)Any disciplinary or prosecutorial action taken against
  225  a student who violates a zero-tolerance policy must be based on
  226  the particular circumstances of the
  227  
  228  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  229         And the title is amended as follows:
  230         Delete lines 3 - 17
  231  and insert:
  232         s. 1002.20, F.S.; conforming cross-references;
  233         requiring that a district school board having a policy
  234         authorizing corporal punishment as a form of
  235         discipline review its policy on corporal punishment at
  236         specified intervals; requiring that such review be
  237         conducted at a district school board meeting held
  238         pursuant to state law; requiring that the district
  239         school board take public testimony at such meeting;
  240         providing for the expiration of a district school
  241         board’s policy authorizing corporal punishment under
  242         certain circumstances; amending s. 1006.09, F.S.;
  243         conforming cross-references; amending s. 1006.13,
  244         F.S.; providing legislative intent and findings;
  245         revising the requirements for zero-tolerance policies;
  246         deleting provisions relating to agreements with the
  247         county sheriff’s office and local police departments;
  248         requiring that such agreements specify guidelines for
  249         addressing acts that pose a serious threat to school
  250         safety; prohibiting zero-tolerance policies from
  251         requiring the reporting of petty acts of misconduct
  252         and misdemeanors to a law enforcement agency;
  253         requiring each district school board to adopt a
  254         cooperative agreement with the Department of Justice
  255         which establishes certain guidelines; requiring that
  256         any disciplinary or prosecutorial action taken against
  257         a student who violates a zero-tolerance policy be
  258         based on the particular circumstances surrounding the