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2005 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Education and Health
Subcommittee Public Education

Newman, Houck, Howell, Ruff, Blevins

Clerk: Jocelyn Lance
Date of Meeting: February 11, 2005
Time and Place: 7:30 a.m., 3rd Fl. West Conf. Rm., GAB

H.B. 1573 Public schools; student dress codes.

Patron: Albo

Student dress codes.  Directs the Board of Education to develop guidelines for  school boards in establishing student dress codes designed to prohibit any apparel or style of dress that may promote illegal gang activity.

H.B. 1589 Nonpublic schools; transportation services.

Patron: Reese

Transportation services for nonpublic schools. Permits local school boards to enter into agreements with nonpublic schools in the school division to provide pupil transportation for a fee to and from the nonpublic schools.

H.B. 1615 School safety audits; requirements.

Patron: Fralin

School safety audits.  Requires the Virginia Center for School Safety, within the Department of Criminal Justice Services, to develop a list of items to be reviewed and evaluated in school safety audits; a standardized report format for school safety audits; any additional reporting criteria; and procedures for report submission, which may include instructions for electronic submission. In addition, the Center is to (i) provide technical assistance and training to school divisions in the development of school safety audits; (ii) collect and analyze all school safety audits; (iii) provide each school division with a written assessment based on these audits; and (iv) report trends and recommendations to the Secretaries of Education and Public Safety.

H.B. 1912 Pledge of Allegiance; guidelines.

Patron: Cole

Pledge of Allegiance.  Requires the Board of Education, in its guidelines for Pledge recitation in the public schools, to include provisions addressing parental notification for minor students who decline to stand or to recite the Pledge.  Technical amendments remove reference to "legal guardian," as "parent," pursuant to § 22.1-1, includes guardians and other persons "having control or charge of a child."

H.B. 2613 Student surveys and questionnaires; local school boards to acquire parental consent.

Patron: Hugo

Surveys and questionnaires of public school students.  Prohibits local school boards from administering questionnaires or surveys to public school students during the regular school day or at school-sponsored activities if such questionnaires or surveys seek disclosure of (i) the parents' political affiliations or beliefs; (ii) the social security numbers of the parents or student, except as may otherwise be required for admission and enrollment; (iii) the sexual behavior and attitudes of the student as well as his family members; or (iv) critical assessments of family members.  However, local school boards may administer questionnaires and surveys to students during the regular school day or at school-sponsored activities when the questionnaire or survey (i) is designed to elicit information that will assist the school division in improving service to students within the division or within a particular school and (ii) does not include information that may personally identify the parent or student.  Before administering any questionnaire or survey as permitted by this section, local school boards must make an affirmative finding as to the age-appropriateness of the questionnaire or survey.

H.B. 2832 Interscholastic & intercollegiate athletic ineligibility; use of anabolic steriods.

Patron: Marshall, R.G.

Interscholastic athletic ineligibility.  Provides that, upon disclosure, a public school student athlete who uses anabolic steroids during the training period immediately preceding or during the sport season of the school or college athletic team on which he is a member will be ineligible to participate in interscholastic athletic competition for two years, unless the steroid was prescribed by a licensed physician for a medical condition.  Student use of anabolic steroids during the training period immediately preceding or during the sport season of the school is required to be reported, unless the steroid was prescribed by a licensed physician for a medical condition. The bill also requires the Board of Education to suspend or revoke the administrative or teaching license of any person who knowingly and willfully with the intent to compromise the outcome of an athletic competition by procuring, selling, or administering anabolic steroids or causing these drugs to be procured, sold, or administered to students, or by failing to report student use of anabolic steroids.