2016 -- S 2572

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LC004815

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Satchell, Lombardi, Archambault, and Gallo

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-64 of the General Laws entitled "Residence of Children for

School Purposes" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-64-1.4. Graduation requirements for students in state care. -- The department of

elementary and secondary education, in consultation with local school districts, shall promulgate

rules and regulations regarding graduation requirements for public school students who are under

the care and control of the state at any time on or after the student's fourteenth birthday. The rules

and regulations shall consider the requirements for admission into post-secondary institutions and

shall take effect no later than January 2, 2017. Local school districts shall award the diplomas if

all state graduation requirements are met.

     SECTION 2. Section 42-72.4-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-72.4 entitled

"Compulsory School Attendance - Children Under State Care" is hereby amended to read as

follows:

     42-72.4-1. Children under state care -- Admission to public schools -- Intra-state

education identification card. -- (a) It is the duty of the director of the department of children,

youth, and families to ensure that all children in the care of the state are allowed immediate

admission, subject to the provisions of § 16-64-1 -- § 16-64-8, to a public school in the city or

town in which they are residing in an authorized placement. To facilitate the discharge of this

duty, the director shall issue to every child in the state's care who has completed three (3) years of

life and has not completed eighteen (18) years of life and to every other child in the state's care

who is eligible to be enrolled in a public school, an intra-state education identification card. The

intra-state education identification card shall include evidence of immunization as provided in §

16-38-2.

      (b) It is the duty of the director to update the intra-state education identification card for

each child in order to provide current information regarding the residence of the parent or

guardian and evidence of immunization as provided in § 16-38-2 on an annual basis prior to and

each time the child transfers to another school district. This card shall provide that each city or

town be required to immediately enroll the child in its school system and for purposes of

determining the school district financially responsible for the child's education in accordance with

§ 16-64-1.1, the parent's residence designated on the intra-state education identification card shall

constitute prima facie evidence of the parent's residence in that district.

      (c) It is the duty of both the receiving and sending school system to effect the immediate

transfer of the child's school records without any additional documentation except as provided by

the department of elementary and secondary education. The requirements of this section are in

addition to the provisions of § 16-64-7, which empowers the department of children, youth, and

families to authorize the transfer of school records in certain situations. The director of the

department of children, youth, and families is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations

necessary to the implementation of this chapter. The director shall comply with the terms of this

chapter upon passage for all children in state care who are not then enrolled and/or registered in

the school district within which they reside and shall comply with the terms of the chapter for

children who are currently so enrolled or registered no later than the time of the children's next

school transfer.

      (d) All inmates in the training school, without regard to their age, must attend or

participate in a school, vocational, general equivalency diploma program, or other training

program, located on the training school grounds as part of the training school's programs while

committed to the training school.

     (e) Beginning no later than January 2, 2017, any child who is under the care and control

of the state at any time on or after such child's fourteenth birthday may meet the state graduation

requirements prescribed by the department of elementary and secondary education pursuant to

§16-64-1.4.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION

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     This act would require the department of elementary and secondary education to

promulgate rules and regulations regarding graduation requirements for public school students

fourteen (14) years of age or older who are under the care and control of the state.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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