130th Ohio General Assembly
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Sub. H. B. No. 19  As Recommitted to the Senate Education Committee
As Recommitted to the Senate Education Committee

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
Sub. H. B. No. 19


Representative Harwood 

Cosponsors: Representatives Brown, Fende, Okey, Williams, B., Garrison, Bolon, Chandler, Phillips, Boyd, Newcomb, Williams, S., Domenick, Pillich, Harris, Murray, Luckie, DeBose, Driehaus, Garland, Lundy, Pryor, Weddington, Celeste, Dodd, Dyer, Foley, Gerberry, Goyal, Hagan, Heard, Hite, Koziura, Mallory, Otterman, Patten, Skindell, Slesnick, Stewart, Szollosi, Ujvagi, Winburn, Yuko 

Senators Cates, Carey, Gibbs, Sawyer, Fedor, Morano 



A BILL
To amend sections 3313.60, 3313.666, 3314.35, 3319.073, and 3327.10 of the Revised Code to enact the "Tina Croucher Act" to require public schools to incorporate dating violence into their policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying; to require school districts to include dating violence prevention education in the health curriculum; to clarify the conditions under which a community school must close for poor academic performance; and to revise the criminal offenses that disqualify school bus drivers for employment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 3313.60, 3313.666, 3314.35, 3319.073, and 3327.10 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec. 3313.60.  Notwithstanding division (D) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code, divisions (A) to (E) of this section do not apply to any cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code.
(A) The board of education of each city and exempted village school district, the governing board of each educational service center, and the board of each cooperative education school district established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code shall prescribe a curriculum for all schools under their control. Except as provided in division (E) of this section, in any such curriculum there shall be included the study of the following subjects:
(1) The language arts, including reading, writing, spelling, oral and written English, and literature;
(2) Geography, the history of the United States and of Ohio, and national, state, and local government in the United States, including a balanced presentation of the relevant contributions to society of men and women of African, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and American Indian descent as well as other ethnic and racial groups in Ohio and the United States;
(3) Mathematics;
(4) Natural science, including instruction in the conservation of natural resources;
(5) Health education, which shall include instruction in:
(a) The nutritive value of foods, including natural and organically produced foods, the relation of nutrition to health, and the use and effects of food additives;
(b) The harmful effects of and legal restrictions against the use of drugs of abuse, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco;
(c) Venereal disease education, except that upon written request of the student's parent or guardian, a student shall be excused from taking instruction in venereal disease education;
(d) In grades kindergarten through six, instruction in personal safety and assault prevention, except that upon written request of the student's parent or guardian, a student shall be excused from taking instruction in personal safety and assault prevention;
(e) In grades seven through twelve, age-appropriate instruction in dating violence prevention education, which shall include instruction in defining dating violence, recognizing dating violence warning signs, and characteristics of healthy relationships. As used in this division, "dating violence" has the same meaning as in section 3313.666 of the Revised Code.
In order to assist school districts in developing a dating violence prevention education curriculum, the department of education shall provide on its web site links to free curricula addressing dating violence prevention.
If the parent or legal guardian of a student less than eighteen years of age submits to the principal of the student's school a written request to examine the dating violence prevention instruction materials used at that school, the principal, within a reasonable period of time after the request is made, shall allow the parent or guardian to examine those materials at that school.
(6) Physical education;
(7) The fine arts, including music;
(8) First aid, including a training program in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, safety, and fire prevention, except that upon written request of the student's parent or guardian, a student shall be excused from taking instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
(B) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, every school or school district shall include in the requirements for promotion from the eighth grade to the ninth grade one year's course of study of American history. A board may waive this requirement for academically accelerated students who, in accordance with procedures adopted by the board, are able to demonstrate mastery of essential concepts and skills of the eighth grade American history course of study.
(C) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, every high school shall include in the requirements for graduation from any curriculum one unit of American history and government, including a study of the constitutions of the United States and of Ohio.
(D) Except as provided in division (E) of this section, basic instruction in geography, United States history, the government of the United States, the government of the state of Ohio, local government in Ohio, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Constitution of the state of Ohio shall be required before pupils may participate in courses involving the study of social problems, economics, foreign affairs, United Nations, world government, socialism and communism.
(E) For each cooperative education school district established pursuant to section 3311.521 of the Revised Code and each city, exempted village, and local school district that has territory within such a cooperative district, the curriculum adopted pursuant to divisions (A) to (D) of this section shall only include the study of the subjects that apply to the grades operated by each such school district. The curriculums for such schools, when combined, shall provide to each student of these districts all of the subjects required under divisions (A) to (D) of this section.
(F) The board of education of any cooperative education school district established pursuant to divisions (A) to (C) of section 3311.52 of the Revised Code shall prescribe a curriculum for the subject areas and grade levels offered in any school under its control.
(G) Upon the request of any parent or legal guardian of a student, the board of education of any school district shall permit the parent or guardian to promptly examine, with respect to the parent's or guardian's own child:
(1) Any survey or questionnaire, prior to its administration to the child;
(2) Any textbook, workbook, software, video, or other instructional materials being used by the district in connection with the instruction of the child;
(3) Any completed and graded test taken or survey or questionnaire filled out by the child;
(4) Copies of the statewide academic standards and each model curriculum developed pursuant to section 3301.079 of the Revised Code, which copies shall be available at all times during school hours in each district school building.
Sec. 3313.666.  (A) As used in this section, "harassment:
(1) "Dating partner" means any person, regardless of gender, involved in an intimate relationship with another primarily characterized by the expectation of affectionate involvement whether casual, serious, or long-term.
(2) "Dating violence" means a pattern of behavior where a person uses or threatens physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse to control the person's dating partner.
(3) "Harassment, intimidation, or bullying" means any either of the following:
(a) Any intentional written, verbal, or physical act that a student has exhibited toward another particular student more than once and the behavior both:
(1)(i) Causes mental or physical harm to the other student;
(2)(ii) Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for the other student.
(b) Dating violence.
(B) The board of education of each city, local, exempted village, and joint vocational school district shall establish a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying. The policy shall be developed in consultation with parents, school employees, school volunteers, students, and community members. The policy shall include the following:
(1) A statement prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying of any student on school property or at school-sponsored events;
(2) A definition of harassment, intimidation, or bullying that shall include the definition in division (A) of this section;
(3) A procedure for reporting prohibited incidents;
(4) A requirement that school personnel report prohibited incidents of which they are aware to the school principal or other administrator designated by the principal;
(5) A requirement that parents or guardians of any student involved in a prohibited incident be notified and, to the extent permitted by section 3319.321 of the Revised Code and the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 571, 20 U.S.C. 1232q, as amended, have access to any written reports pertaining to the prohibited incident;
(6) A procedure for documenting any prohibited incident that is reported;
(7) A procedure for responding to and investigating any reported incident;
(8) A strategy for protecting a victim from additional harassment, intimidation, or bullying, and from retaliation following a report;
(9) A disciplinary procedure for any student guilty of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, which shall not infringe on any student's rights under the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States;
(10) A requirement that the district administration semiannually provide the president of the district board a written summary of all reported incidents and post the summary on its web site, if the district has a web site, to the extent permitted by section 3319.321 of the Revised Code and the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974," 88 Stat. 571, 20 U.S.C. 1232q, as amended.
(C) Each board's policy shall appear in any student handbooks, and in any of the publications that set forth the comprehensive rules, procedures, and standards of conduct for schools and students in the district. Information regarding the policy shall be incorporated into employee training materials.
(D) A school district employee, student, or volunteer shall be individually immune from liability in a civil action for damages arising from reporting an incident in accordance with a policy adopted pursuant to this section if that person reports an incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying promptly in good faith and in compliance with the procedures as specified in the policy.
(E) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, nothing in this section prohibits a victim from seeking redress under any other provision of the Revised Code or common law that may apply.
(F) This section does not create a new cause of action or a substantive legal right for any person.
(G) Not later than six months after the effective date of this amendment, each board shall update the policy adopted under this section to include dating violence.
Sec. 3314.35.  (A)(1) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, this section applies to any community school that meets one of the following criteria after July 1, 2008, but before July 1, 2009:
(a) The school does not offer a grade level higher than three and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for four consecutive school years.
(b) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:
(i) The school offers any of grade levels four to eight but does not offer a grade level higher than nine.
(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three consecutive school years.
(iii) For two of those school years, the school showed less than one standard year of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department of education in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.
(c) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:
(i) The school offers any of grade levels ten to twelve.
(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three consecutive school years.
(iii) For two of those school years, the school showed less than two standard years of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.
(2) Except as provided in division (A)(3) of this section, this section applies to any community school that meets one of the following criteria after July 1, 2009:
(a) The school does not offer a grade level higher than three and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three of the four most recent school years.
(b) The school satisfies all of the following conditions:
(i) The school offers any of grade levels four to eight but does not offer a grade level higher than nine.
(ii) The school has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for two of the three most recent school years.
(iii) In at least two of the three most recent school years, the school showed less than one standard year of academic growth in either reading or mathematics, as determined by the department in accordance with rules adopted under division (A) of section 3302.021 of the Revised Code.
(c) The school offers any of grade levels ten to twelve and has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for three of the four most recent school years.
(3) This section does not apply to either of the following:
(a) Any community school in which a majority of the students are enrolled in a dropout prevention and recovery program that is operated by the school and that has been granted a waiver under section 3314.36 of the Revised Code;
(b) Any community school in which a majority of the enrolled students are children with disabilities receiving special education and related services in accordance with Chapter 3323. of the Revised Code.
(B) Any community school to which this section applies shall permanently close at the conclusion of the school year in which the school first becomes subject to this section. The sponsor and governing authority of the school shall comply with all procedures for closing a community school adopted by the department under division (E) of section 3314.015 of the Revised Code. The governing authority of the school shall not enter into a contract with any other sponsor under section 3314.03 of the Revised Code after the school closes.
(C) Not later than July 1, 2008, the department shall determine the feasibility of using the value-added progress dimension, as defined in section 3302.01 of the Revised Code, as a factor in evaluating the academic performance of community schools described in division (A)(1)(c)(i) of this section. Notwithstanding divisions (A)(1)(c)(ii) and (iii) of this section, if the department determines that using the value-added progress dimension to evaluate community schools described in division (A)(1)(c)(i) of this section is not feasible, a community school described in that division shall be required to permanently close under this section only if it has been declared to be in a state of academic emergency under section 3302.03 of the Revised Code for four consecutive school years.
(D) In accordance with division (B) of section 3314.012 of the Revised Code, the department shall not consider the performance ratings assigned to a community school for its first two years of operation when determining whether the school meets the criteria prescribed by division (A)(2) of this section. The department shall reevaluate each community school that the department directed to close at the conclusion of the 2009-2010 school year to determine if the school still meets the criteria prescribed by division (A)(2) of this section when the school's performance ratings for its first two years of operation are not considered and, if the school no longer meets those criteria, the department shall not require the school to close at the conclusion of that school year.
Sec. 3319.073.  (A) The board of education of each city and exempted village school district and the governing board of each educational service center shall adopt or adapt the curriculum developed by the department of education for, or shall develop in consultation with public or private agencies or persons involved in child abuse prevention or intervention programs, a program of in-service training in the prevention of child abuse, violence, and substance abuse and the promotion of positive youth development. Each person employed by any school district or service center to work in a school as a nurse, teacher, counselor, school psychologist, or administrator shall complete at least four hours of the in-service training within two years of commencing employment with the district or center, and every five years thereafter. A person who is employed by any school district or service center to work in an elementary school as a nurse, teacher, counselor, school psychologist, or administrator on March 30, 2007, shall complete at least four hours of the in-service training not later than March 30, 2009, and every five years thereafter. A person who is employed by any school district or service center to work in a middle or high school as a nurse, teacher, counselor, school psychologist, or administrator on the effective date of this amendment October 16, 2009, shall complete at least four hours of the in-service training not later than two years after the effective date of this amendment October 16, 2011, and every five years thereafter.
(B) Each board shall incorporate training in school safety and violence prevention into the in-service training required by division (A) of this section. For this purpose, the board shall adopt or adapt the curriculum developed by the department or shall develop its own curriculum in consultation with public or private agencies or persons involved in school safety and violence prevention programs.
(C) Each board shall incorporate training in the prevention of dating violence, as defined in section 3313.666 of the Revised Code, into the in-service training required by division (A) of this section for middle and high school employees. The board shall develop its own curriculum for this purpose.
Sec. 3327.10.  (A) No person shall be employed as driver of a school bus or motor van, owned and operated by any school district or educational service center or privately owned and operated under contract with any school district or service center in this state, who has not received a certificate from the educational service center governing board in case such person is employed by a service center or by a local school district under the supervision of the service center governing board, or by the superintendent of schools, in case such person is employed by the board of a city or exempted village school district, certifying that such person is at least eighteen years of age and is of good moral character and is qualified physically and otherwise for such position. The service center governing board or the superintendent, as the case may be, shall provide for an annual physical examination that conforms with rules adopted by the state board of education of each driver to ascertain the driver's physical fitness for such employment. Any certificate may be revoked by the authority granting the same on proof that the holder has been guilty of failing to comply with division (D)(1) of this section, or upon a conviction or a guilty plea for a violation, or any other action, that results in a loss or suspension of driving rights. Failure to comply with such division may be cause for disciplinary action or termination of employment under division (C) of section 3319.081, or section 124.34 of the Revised Code.
(B) No person shall be employed as driver of a school bus or motor van not subject to the rules of the department of education pursuant to division (A) of this section who has not received a certificate from the school administrator or contractor certifying that such person is at least eighteen years of age, is of good moral character, and is qualified physically and otherwise for such position. Each driver shall have an annual physical examination which conforms to the state highway patrol rules, ascertaining the driver's physical fitness for such employment. The examination shall be performed by one of the following:
(1) A person licensed under Chapter 4731. of the Revised Code or by another state to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery;
(2) A physician assistant;
(3) A certified nurse practitioner;
(4) A clinical nurse specialist;
(5) A certified nurse-midwife.
Any written documentation of the physical examination shall be completed by the individual who performed the examination.
Any certificate may be revoked by the authority granting the same on proof that the holder has been guilty of failing to comply with division (D)(2) of this section.
(C) Any person who drives a school bus or motor van must give satisfactory and sufficient bond except a driver who is an employee of a school district and who drives a bus or motor van owned by the school district.
(D) No person employed as driver of a school bus or motor van under this section who is convicted of a traffic violation or who has had the person's commercial driver's license suspended shall drive a school bus or motor van until the person has filed a written notice of the conviction or suspension, as follows:
(1) If the person is employed under division (A) of this section, the person shall file the notice with the superintendent, or a person designated by the superintendent, of the school district for which the person drives a school bus or motor van as an employee or drives a privately owned and operated school bus or motor van under contract.
(2) If employed under division (B) of this section, the person shall file the notice with the employing school administrator or contractor, or a person designated by the administrator or contractor.
(E) In addition to resulting in possible revocation of a certificate as authorized by divisions (A) and (B) of this section, violation of division (D) of this section is a minor misdemeanor.
(F)(1) Not later than thirty days after June 30, 2007, each owner of a school bus or motor van shall obtain the complete driving record for each person who is currently employed or otherwise authorized to drive the school bus or motor van. An owner of a school bus or motor van shall not permit a person to operate the school bus or motor van for the first time before the owner has obtained the person's complete driving record. Thereafter, the owner of a school bus or motor van shall obtain the person's driving record not less frequently than semiannually if the person remains employed or otherwise authorized to drive the school bus or motor van. An owner of a school bus or motor van shall not permit a person to resume operating a school bus or motor van, after an interruption of one year or longer, before the owner has obtained the person's complete driving record.
(2) The owner of a school bus or motor van shall not permit a person to operate the school bus or motor van for six years after the date on which the person pleads guilty to or is convicted of a violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance.
(3) An owner of a school bus or motor van shall not permit any person to operate such a vehicle unless the person meets all other requirements contained in rules adopted by the state board of education prescribing qualifications of drivers of school buses and other student transportation.
(G) No superintendent of a school district, educational service center, community school, or public or private employer shall permit the operation of a vehicle used for pupil transportation within this state by an individual unless both of the following apply:
(1) Information pertaining to that driver has been submitted to the department of education, pursuant to procedures adopted by that department. Information to be reported shall include the name of the employer or school district, name of the driver, driver license number, date of birth, date of hire, status of physical evaluation, and status of training.
(2) The most recent criminal records check required by division (J) of this section has been completed and received by the superintendent or public or private employer.
(H) A person, school district, educational service center, community school, nonpublic school, or other public or nonpublic entity that owns a school bus or motor van, or that contracts with another entity to operate a school bus or motor van, may impose more stringent restrictions on drivers than those prescribed in this section, in any other section of the Revised Code, and in rules adopted by the state board.
(I) For qualified drivers who, on July 1, 2007, are employed by the owner of a school bus or motor van to drive the school bus or motor van, any instance in which the driver was convicted of or pleaded guilty to a violation of section 4511.19 of the Revised Code or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance prior to two years prior to July 1, 2007, shall not be considered a disqualifying event with respect to division (F) of this section.
(J)(1) This division applies to persons hired by a school district, educational service center, community school, chartered nonpublic school, or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics school established under Chapter 3326. of the Revised Code to operate a vehicle used for pupil transportation.
For each person to whom this division applies who is hired on or after November 14, 2007, the employer shall request a criminal records check in accordance with section 3319.39 of the Revised Code and every six years thereafter. For each person to whom this division applies who is hired prior to that date, the employer shall request a criminal records check by a date prescribed by the department of education and every six years thereafter.
(2) This division applies to persons hired by a public or private employer not described in division (J)(1) of this section to operate a vehicle used for pupil transportation.
For each person to whom this division applies who is hired on or after November 14, 2007, the employer shall request a criminal records check prior to the person's hiring and every six years thereafter. For each person to whom this division applies who is hired prior to that date, the employer shall request a criminal records check by a date prescribed by the department and every six years thereafter.
(3) Each request for a criminal records check under division (J) of this section shall be made to the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation in the manner prescribed in section 3319.39 of the Revised Code, except that if both of the following conditions apply to the person subject to the records check, the employer shall request the superintendent only to obtain any criminal records that the federal bureau of investigation has on the person:
(a) The employer previously requested the superintendent to determine whether the bureau of criminal identification and investigation has any information, gathered pursuant to division (A) of section 109.57 of the Revised Code, on the person in conjunction with a criminal records check requested under section 3319.39 of the Revised Code or under division (J) of this section.
(b) The person presents proof that the person has been a resident of this state for the five-year period immediately prior to the date upon which the person becomes subject to a criminal records check under this section.
Upon receipt of a request, the superintendent shall conduct the criminal records check in accordance with section 109.572 of the Revised Code as if the request had been made under section 3319.39 of the Revised Code. However, as specified in division (B)(2) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code, if the employer requests the superintendent only to obtain any criminal records that the federal bureau of investigation has on the person for whom the request is made, the superintendent shall not conduct the review prescribed by division (B)(1) of that section.
(K) Any person who is the subject of a criminal records check under division (J) of this section and has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any offense described in division (C)(B)(1) of section 3319.31 3319.39 of the Revised Code shall not be hired or shall be released from employment, as applicable, unless the person meets the rehabilitation standards adopted by the department under division (E) of that section.
Section 2.  That existing sections 3313.60, 3313.666, 3314.35, 3319.073, and 3327.10 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.
Section 3.  This act shall be known as the "Tina Croucher Act."
Section 4.  Not later than six months after the effective date of this section, the State Board of Education shall update its model policy to prohibit harassment, intimidation, or bullying adopted under section 3301.22 of the Revised Code to include dating violence, as defined in section 3313.666 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act.
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