| 13 | 25 | | |
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| 14 | 26 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: |
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| 15 | 27 | | |
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| 16 | 28 | | Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2017) (a) As used in this section: |
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| 17 | 29 | | |
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| 18 | 30 | | (1) "Mobile electronic device" means any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more individuals, including, but not limited to, a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is capable of playing a video game or a digital video disk or equipment on which digital images are taken or transmitted; and |
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| 19 | 31 | | |
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| 20 | 32 | | (2) "School employee" means: (A) A teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school superintendent, guidance counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or a private elementary, middle or high school or working in a public or private elementary, middle or high school; or (B) any other person who, in the performance of his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in (i) a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the local or regional board of education, or (ii) a private elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the supervisory agent of such private school. |
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| 21 | 33 | | |
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| 22 | 34 | | (b) No school employee may take custody of a student's personal mobile electronic device for purposes of accessing any data or other content stored upon or accessible from such device, or compel a student to produce, display, share or provide access to any data or other content stored upon or accessible from such device, except a school employee may take custody of a student's personal mobile electronic device if (1) such device is located on school property, and (2) the school employee has a reasonable suspicion that a student (A) has violated or is violating an educational policy and that such device contains evidence of the suspected violation, or (B) poses a risk of imminent personal injury to such student or others. Upon taking custody of a student's personal mobile electronic device, the school employee shall immediately turn over such device to a school administrator. |
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| 23 | 35 | | |
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| 24 | 36 | | (c) A school administrator may conduct a search of a student's personal mobile electronic device seized pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. Any such search shall (1) be strictly limited to finding evidence of the suspected policy violation or to prevent imminent personal injury to such student or others, and (2) immediately cease upon (A) finding sufficient evidence or no evidence of the suspected violation, or (B) preventing such imminent personal injury to such student or others. Immediately after searching such device, the school employee shall report, in writing, to the principal the reasonable suspicion that gave rise to the search. Not later than twenty-four hours after the completion of the search, the principal shall notify the student and the parent or guardian of the student of the suspected violation and what data was accessed from such device during the search of such device. The principal shall provide a copy of the report detailing the reasonable suspicion that gave rise to the search. |
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| 25 | 37 | | |
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