Florida Senate - 2012                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. SB 1886
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Barcode 931800                          
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  02/01/2012           .                                
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       The Committee on Education Pre-K - 12 (Wise) recommended the
       following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3  
    4         Delete lines 37 - 70
    5  and insert:
    6  
    7         (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to promote a safe
    8  and supportive learning environment in schools, to protect
    9  students and staff from conduct that poses a serious threat to
   10  school safety, and to encourage schools to use alternatives to
   11  expulsion, or referral to law enforcement agencies by addressing
   12  disruptive behavior through restitution, civil citation, teen
   13  court, neighborhood restorative justice, school offense
   14  protocols, or similar programs. The Legislature finds that zero
   15  tolerance policies are not intended to be rigorously applied to
   16  petty acts of misconduct and misdemeanors, including, but not
   17  limited to, minor fights or disturbances. The Legislature finds
   18  that zero-tolerance policies must apply equally to all students
   19  regardless of their economic status, race, or disability.
   20         (2) Each district school board shall adopt a policy of zero
   21  tolerance that:
   22         (a) Defines criteria for reporting to a law enforcement
   23  agency any act that occurs whenever or wherever students are
   24  within the jurisdiction of the district school board that poses
   25  a serious threat to school safety. Acts that do not pose a
   26  serious threat to school safety shall be handled within the
   27  school’s disciplinary system.
   28         (b) Defines acts that pose a serious threat to school
   29  safety.
   30         (c) Defines petty acts of misconduct.
   31         (d) Provides that school officials may not request a law
   32  enforcement agency to respond to petty acts of misconduct. Such
   33  incidents shall be handled within the school system’s discipline
   34  system.
   35         (e) Provides, within existing inservice training modules, a
   36  comprehensive training program for school administrators and
   37  teachers regarding the potential negative consequences and
   38  future effects of an arrest of a juvenile and of the existing
   39  in-school alternatives to discipline a student for committing
   40  petty acts of misconduct without involving a law enforcement
   41  agency.
   42         (f) Provides that schools disciplinary systems, may
   43  document and include corrective training, interventions or
   44  teaching of alternative behaviors specific to the offense when
   45  the student is required to miss scheduled classroom instruction
   46  time due to the offense and its disciplinary action.
   47         (g)(d) Minimizes the victimization of students, staff, or
   48  volunteers, including taking all steps necessary to protect the
   49  victim of any violent crime from any further victimization.
   50         (h)(e) Establishes a procedure that provides each student
   51  with the opportunity for a review of the disciplinary action
   52  imposed pursuant to s. 1006.07.
   53  
   54  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
   55  And the title is amended as follows:
   56  
   57         Delete line 16
   58  and insert:
   59  
   60         disciplinary system; requiring each district school
   61         board to implement a training program for school
   62         administrators and teachers regarding the negative
   63         consequences and future effects of an arrest of a
   64         juvenile and of the existing in-school alternatives to
   65         discipline a student for committing petty acts of
   66         misconduct without involving a law enforcement agency;
   67         requiring that each district