2020 -- S 2184

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LC004159

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- FIELD TRIP FUNDING

     Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Raptakis, McKenney, Rogers, and Lombardo

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2020

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-38-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-38 entitled "Offenses

Pertaining to Schools [See Title 16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-38-6. Restrictions on commercial activity and fundraising in public schools.

     (a) No public school official or public school employee shall, for any purpose, solicit or

exact from any pupil in any public school any contribution or gift of money or any article of

value, or any pledge to contribute any money or article of value. This prohibition does not apply

to school sponsored field trips in which parents can be asked for funding as long as the school

district provides funding to any student whose family cannot afford the cost of the trip. No public

school teacher shall accept payment for tutoring directly from the parents of a student under his or

her instruction. If a teacher is to be assigned and compensated as a tutor for a student under his or

her instruction, the assignment and compensation must be through the school department

pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the school committee. Nothing in this section

shall be interpreted to prohibit a teacher from tutoring a student who is not concurrently under his

or her instruction in the public school and receiving compensation for the tutoring from the

parents of the student.

     (b) No commercial goods or services shall be sold to students in the public schools or on

public school property, nor shall any commercial materials (flyers, literature, advertisements,

commercial materials, or solicitations) be sent home with students from the public school, except

as authorized pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the local school committee, which

shall, at a minimum, address the following:

     (1) The conduct and financial accountability of public school employees and public

school officials engaged in commercial activities for the benefit of public schools;

     (2) The use of schoolchildren to deliver commercial materials to parents.

     (c) Any approved fundraising activity shall be conducted on a voluntary basis and in

accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the school committee, which shall at a

minimum, address the following:

     (1) The conduct and financial accountability of public school employees and public

school officials engaged in fundraising activities for the benefit of public schools;

     (2) The specific circumstances, if any, for door to door solicitations and door to door

sales by public school students for fundraising;

     (3) The use of schoolchildren to deliver fundraising materials to parents.

     (d) The commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall provide technical

assistance to assist the school committees of the several towns and cities in the formulation of the

local policies and procedures mandated by this section.

     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 -- FIELD TRIP FUNDING

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     This act would allow parents to be asked for funding of school sponsored field trips as

long as the district provides funding to any student whose family cannot afford the trip.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004159

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