2016 -- H 7675

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LC004934

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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 -- PROTECTING STUDENT PRIVACY ON SCHOOL-

OWNED TECHNOLOGY

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Kennedy, Shekarchi, O'Brien, Casey, and Keable

     Date Introduced: February 24, 2016

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended

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by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 106

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STUDENT PRIVACY IN TAKE-HOME TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

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     16-106-1. Definitions. – For the purposes of this chapter:

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     (1) "Educational institution" or "school" means a private or public institution that offers

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participants, students, or trainees an organized course of study or training that is academic, trade-

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oriented or preparatory for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and shall include any

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person acting as an agent of the institution.

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     (2) "Device" means any computer, including laptop or tablet computers, or other

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electronic device owned or maintained by the educational institution and provided to a student

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pursuant to a take-home technology program.

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     (3) "Internet filtering measures" means the use of a specific technology or program to

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block or filter access to websites on the Internet.

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     (4) "Location tracking" means a global positioning service or other mapping, locational,

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or directional information service, used to determine the location of the device in real time or

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historically.

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     (5) "Remote access" means the ability to access a computer from a remote location. This

 

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includes the ability to view a computer's network, desktop or files from an external location or

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server, as well as the ability to open, modify, or delete programs.

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     (6) "Take-home technology program" means any program wherein a device is provided

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to a student for overnight or at-home use.

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     (7) "Student" means any student, participant, or trainee, whether full-time or part-time, in

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an organized course of study at an educational institution.

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     16-106-2. Optional participation in take-home technology programs. -- (a) No

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educational institution shall compel, coerce, or require a student to participate in a take-home

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technology program.

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     (b) No student shall be permitted to participate in a take-home technology program

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without the written consent of the student's parent or guardian, including the signing of an opt-in

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agreement.

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     (c) A valid opt-in agreement shall identify, with specificity:

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     (1) The precise subset of data on the device to which access is being granted;

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     (2) The name of the school employee(s) or third party to whom the authority to access the

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data on the device is being granted;

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     (3) The name of any third party to whom data is being sold, shared, or otherwise

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transferred; and

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     (4) The purpose(s) for which the school employee(s) or third party is being granted

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access to the device or for which data is being sold, shared, or otherwise transferred.

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     (d) An opt-in agreement shall not be valid if it actually or effectively grants a third party:

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     (1) General authority to access a student's device; or

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     (2) The authority to collect all personally-identifiable student data that is generated by

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and/or used in connection with a specific program or application.

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     (e) No third party or school employee who receives personally identifiable information

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from a device pursuant to an opt-in agreement may share, sell or otherwise transfer such data to

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another third party.

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     (f) An opt-in agreement may be revoked at any time, upon written notice to an

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educational institution, buy a student or their parent or guardian. Within fourteen (14) days of

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such a revocation, notice to any affected third parties shall be made by the educational institution.

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     (g) No device or other educational benefit may be withheld from, or punitive measure

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taken against, a student or their parent or legal guardian:

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     (1) Based in whole or in part upon a decision not to sign, or to revoke, an opt-in

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agreement; or

 

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     (2) Based in whole or in part upon a student's refusal to open, close, or maintain an e-mail

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or other electronic communications or social media account with a specific service provider.

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     (h) Where a take-home technology program is offered at an educational institution, any

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attempt by the educational institution or a third party to condition the offer, provision or receipt of

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a device upon a student's or their parent's or legal guardian's agreement to provide or permit the

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sharing of personally-identifiable student data is unlawful under this chapter.

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     (i) When a device is permanently returned by a student, the educational institution or

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third party who provided it shall, without otherwise accessing the data on the device, fully erase

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all the data stored on the device and return the device to its default factory settings.

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     16-106-3. Use of data on take-home technology. -- (a) Where an educational institution

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or third party provides a student with a technological device pursuant to a take-home technology

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program, no school employee or third party may access such a device or the data thereupon,

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either remotely or in person, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

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     (b) No school employee or third party may access any data input into, stored upon, or

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sent or received by a student's device, including its browser, keystroke or location history, unless:

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     (1) A school employee or third party has been authorized to access specific data by a

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student and their parent or legal guardian pursuant to a valid opt-in agreement, and access is

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limited to that purpose;

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     (2) A school employee has reasonable suspicion that the student has violated or is

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violating a school policy and that data on the device contains evidence of the suspected violation,

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subject to the following limitations:

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     (i) Prior to searching a student's device based on reasonable suspicion, the school

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employee shall document the reasonable suspicion and notify the student's parent or legal

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guardian of the suspected violation and what data will be accessed in searching for evidence of

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the violation;

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     (ii) Searches of a student's device based upon a reasonable suspicion of a school policy

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violation shall be strictly limited to finding evidence of the suspected policy violation; and

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     (iii) Where a student is suspected of illegal conduct, no search may occur unless a judicial

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warrant has been secured, even if the student is also suspected of a related or unrelated violation

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of school policy.

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     (3) A school employee or law enforcement official reasonably suspects the student has

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engaged or is engaging in illegal conduct, reasonably suspects data on the device contains

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evidence of the suspected illegal conduct, and has secured a judicial warrant for a search of the

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device;

 

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     (4) Doing so is necessary to update or upgrade the device's software and access is limited

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to that purpose; or

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     (5) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

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limited to that purpose.

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     16-106-4. Follow up required after accessing a service. -- (a) Within seventy-two (72)

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hours of accessing a device's location tracking technology in response to an imminent threat to

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life or safety, the school employee or law enforcement official who accessed the device shall

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provide the student whose device was accessed, their parent or legal guardian and the educational

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institution a written explanation of the precise threat that prompted the access and what data and

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features were accessed.

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     (b) No school employee or third party may use a device's location tracking technology to

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track a device's real-time or historical location, unless:

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     (1) Such use is ordered pursuant to a judicial warrant;

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     (2) The student to whom the device was provided, or their parent or legal guardian, has

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notified a school employee or law enforcement official in writing that the device is missing or

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stolen; or

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     (3) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

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limited to that purpose.

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     (c) No personally-identifiable student data obtained or received from a device by a school

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employee or authorized third party may be sold, shared, or otherwise transferred to another third

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party, except pursuant to a valid opt-in agreement or other express authorization from a student

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and their parent or legal guardian.

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     16-106-5. Remote access prohibited. – (a) No educational institution or third party shall

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activate or access any audio or video receiving, transmitting, or recording functions on a student's

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device, unless:

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     (1) A student initiates a video chat or audio chat for educational purposes and access is

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limited to that purpose;

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     (2) The activation and/or access is ordered pursuant to a judicial warrant; and

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     (3) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

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limited to that purpose:

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     (b) Within seventy-two (72) hours of accessing a device's audio or video receiving,

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transmitting, or recording functions in response to an imminent threat to life or safety, the school

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employee or law enforcement official who accessed the device shall provide the student whose

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device was accessed, their parent or legal guardian and the educational institution a written

 

LC004934 - Page 4 of 6

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explanation of the precise threat that prompted the access and what data and features were

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accessed.

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     (c) This section shall not apply to video chats, audio chats or file transfers initiated by a

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student for educational purposes and with the consent of a parent or guardian.

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     16-106-6. Reasonable suspicion required for searches. – (a) No educational institution

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shall search the contents of a device absent reasonable suspicion that a student has engaged in

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misconduct.

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     (b) Educational institutions shall, as soon as practicable, but no later than forty-eight (48)

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hours after a search has taken place, notify a student's parent or legal guardian in writing that a

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search was conducted, and the reasons for the search.

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     (c) This shall not include instances when the student's parent or legal guardian consents

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to a search.

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     16-106-7. Parental disabling of internet filtering software. -- Every educational

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institution issuing a device shall establish a procedure for parents and/or legal guardians to

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request that a blocked website be unblocked in a timely manner, and in no case shall the time to

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unblock a website be longer than two (2) business days.

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     16-106-8. Location tracking of devices prohibited. -- No educational institution shall

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engage in location tracking of a device without the written consent of a child's parent or legal

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guardian, unless the device has been reported stolen and a police report has been filed with the

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local police department.

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     16-106-9. Training. – Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, no school

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employee may supervise, direct, or participate in a take-home technology program or access any

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device or data thereupon until they have received adequate training to ensure understanding in

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compliance with the provisions of this chapter.

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     16-106-10. Penalties. -- In any civil action alleging a violation of this chapter, the court

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may:

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     (1) Award to a prevailing applicant or student declaratory relief, damages, and reasonable

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attorneys' fees and costs; and

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     (2) Award injunctive relief against any school or agent of any educational institution that

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or who commits or proposes to commit a violation of this chapter.

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     SECTION 2. 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 -- PROTECTING STUDENT PRIVACY ON SCHOOL-

OWNED TECHNOLOGY

***

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     This act would establish certain student privacy rights in regard to take-home technology

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devices from school. The act would limit the ability of school officials to monitor and search a

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student's take-home technology device and would establish the process and criteria which school

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officials must follow to access a student's take-home technology device.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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