Chapter 323

2008 -- S 2395 SUBSTITUTE A

Enacted 07/08/08

A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- LOAN OF TEXTBOOKS

Introduced By: Senators Gallo, P Fogarty, and C Levesque

Date Introduced: February 12, 2008

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-23-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-23 entitled "Textbooks"

is hereby amended to read as follows:

16-23-2. Loan of textbooks. -- (a) The school committee of every community as it is

defined in section 16-7-16 shall furnish upon request, at the expense of the community, textbooks

to all students in grades K-12 in the fields of mathematics, science, modern foreign languages,

English/language arts and history/social studies, appearing on the list of textbooks published by

the commissioner of elementary and secondary education as provided in section 16-23-3, to all

pupils of elementary and secondary school grades resident in the community, the textbooks to be

loaned to the pupils free of charge, subject to any rules and regulations as to care and custody that

the school committee may prescribe. For loan purposes, non-public schools may not change a

textbook assignment in a field more often than once in a three (3) year period as required of

public schools in accordance with the provisions of section 16-23-1. Nothing in this section shall

be construed as forbidding non-public schools from requiring the use of any textbook, consistent

with the provisions of this chapter, that does not adhere to said limitation, provided that the

textbook is furnished to the student through a means other than the school committee of the

student's city or town of residence.

      (b) Every school committee shall also furnish at the expense of the community all other

textbooks and school supplies used in the public schools of the community, the other textbooks

and supplies to be loaned to the pupils of the public schools free of charge, subject to any rules

and regulations as to care and custody that the school committee may prescribe. School books

removed from school use may be distributed to pupils, and any textbook may become the

property of a pupil who has completed the use of it in school, subject to rules and regulations

prescribed by the school committee.

      (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to forbid requiring or accepting from a

pupil a deposit of a reasonable amount of money as a guaranty for the return of school property

other than the books and supplies required in this section to be loaned free of charge, provided

that the school committee shall make suitable rules and regulations for the safekeeping and return

of deposits; and, provided, further, that in establishing schedules for deposits, the school

committee should include provision for waiver of deposit due to financial hardship.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

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LC01647/SUB A

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