Title 16, Title 16 Title 16

(a) The program shall provide for screenings of the hearing, speech, and vision of all children in these schools, and the preservation of records of the screenings of the children and notification of the parent or guardian of any child where there is an identified or suspected sp…

(a) Upon entering kindergarten or within thirty (30) days of the start of the school year, the parent or guardian of each child shall present to school health personnel certification that the child, within the previous twelve (12) months has passed a vision screening conducted by…

(a) Every student and teacher in a public or private school, college, or university participating in any of the courses listed in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be required to wear approved eye protective devices at all times while participating in the courses …

Any teacher having reasonable cause to suspect that a secondary or elementary student under eighteen (18) years of age is addicted to a narcotic drug or under the influence of a dangerous drug who reports this information to the appropriate secondary or elementary school official…

Every school department shall provide school bus safety instructions for all children in grades kindergarten through six (6). The instruction shall take place at least four (4) times per year, two (2) of which shall take place during the months of September and October.

The school penalty for bringing or possessing a weapon as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921, a firearm or realistic replica of a firearm within school premises, premises being used for school purposes or activities, into a vehicle used for school transportation, or onto a roadway or pat…

(a) Students with disabilities as defined by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1415, shall be subject to the provisions of § 16-21-18 to the extent permitted by the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1415. (b) Students with disabil…

The department of elementary and secondary education in conjunction with the attorney general’s task force to prevent violence in schools shall develop requirements for the alternative placement of students suspended under the provision of § 16-21-18. The placements shall be coop…

Each school committee shall make, maintain, and enforce a student discipline code. The purpose of the code is to foster a positive environment that promotes learning. The department of elementary and secondary education shall provide necessary technical assistance in the developm…

The discipline of any public school student for violating a school policy relating to the possession or use of alcohol, drugs or weapons not described in § 16-21-18 of this chapter, shall be imposed on a case-by-case basis pursuant to guidelines developed and promulgated by the s…

(a) The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of health shall incorporate into their policies, rules, and regulations pertaining to school health programs a procedure for addressing incidents of anaphylaxis (exaggerated allergic reaction) in order to…

(a) Each school district of each town, city, and regional school department shall conduct a school safety assessment in conjunction with local police, fire, school safety team pursuant to the provisions of this section and any other expert said school department deems necessary. …

(a) It shall be the duty of the department of elementary and secondary education to collaborate with the Rhode Island emergency management agency, state police, state fire marshal, the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, and other safety…

(a) Each local school board or committee shall adopt written policies for the establishment of threat assessment teams, including the assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of school staff or students consistent with the mod…

(a) School safety plans, as required by this chapter, shall address, but not to be limited to, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The school safety plans shall include, at a minimum, the following policies and procedures: (1) Appropriate prevention, mit…

(a) Each city, town, or regional department school safety plan and school emergency response plans shall be reviewed on an annual basis by the school committee and updated annually. These reviews and updates shall be completed by November 1 of any given year, and by December 31 o…

Each school district shall adopt a plan to ensure continued education of students who are removed from the classroom because of a suspension of more than ten (10) days or who are chronically truant. The plan shall be adopted by the school committee and shall be submitted to Rhode…

(a) The school committee of each school district shall establish a district-wide coordinated school health and wellness subcommittee chaired by a member of the full school committee. The subcommittee will make recommendations regarding the district’s health education curriculum a…

(a) Approximately one in five hundred (500) school children have diabetes. Individuals with diabetes need to manage their diabetes carefully to keep their blood glucose levels within target range. (b) High blood glucose levels contribute to medical complications, such as blindnes…

(a) The department of elementary and secondary education and the department of health shall incorporate into their policies, rules and regulations for addressing incidents of hypoglycemia resulting in unconsciousness, seizure and/or the inability to swallow in order to provide fo…

The department of health, in conjunction with the American diabetes association, and the Rhode Island chapter of American academy of pediatrics, shall develop performance standards and guidelines for the training and supervision of personnel, other than the school nurse, who prov…

No school teacher, school administrator, school health care personnel, person employed on behalf of the school, any other school personnel, nor any local educational authority shall be liable for civil damages which may result from acts or omissions in use of glucagon which may c…

Training on the administration of epinephrine or glucagon for school personnel, or those employed on behalf of the school, shall not be considered the delegation of nursing practice.

The administration of epinephrine or glucagon by school personnel, or those employed on behalf of the school, shall not be considered the practice of nursing.

(a) The state building codes standards committee, the state fire marshal, the state health department, and the department of labor and training — division of occupational health and safety shall determine whether the school buildings in the several cities and towns or on state pr…

(a) It shall be the duty of the superintendent of schools, private school official, or in the case of state operated schools, the responsibility of the director of the state operated school, to ensure that schools are not opened until notification is received from the aforementio…

(a) As used in this section: (1) “At school” means in a classroom, on or immediately adjacent to school premises, on a school bus or other school-related vehicle, at an official school bus stop, or at any school-sponsored activity or event whether or not it is on school grounds. …

(a) In any school subject to the provisions of this chapter wherein a student with an allergy to peanuts/tree nuts and/or food derived from peanut/tree nuts products is in attendance, a notice shall be posted within that school building in a conspicuous place at every point of en…

(a) The governing body of each elementary, middle or junior high school approved for the purpose of §§ 16-19-1 and 16-19-2, shall develop a policy designed to provide a safe environment for students with peanut/tree nut allergies. When a school is aware that an enrolled student h…

(a) Definitions. As used in this chapter: (1) “Bullying” means the use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof directed at a student that: (i) Causes physical or emotional harm to the student or…

(a) Legislative findings: (1) Approximately three hundred twenty-five thousand (325,000) Americans suffer sudden cardiac arrest (“SCA”) each year and more than ninety-five percent (95%) of them die before reaching the hospital; (2) In the population of Rhode Island, an estimated …

(a) The Rhode Island department of education shall prescribe by regulation a statewide bullying policy, ensuring a consistent and unified, statewide approach to the prohibition of bullying at school. The statewide policy shall apply to all schools that are approved for the purpos…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) “Opioid antagonist” means any drug that binds to opioid receptors and blocks or disinhibits the effects of opioids acting on those receptors, including naloxone hydrochloride, also kn…

Each public or private school in the state shall post a notice that contains the statewide, toll-free telephone number, established and implemented by the department of children, youth and families pursuant to § 40-11-3 for the receipt of reports concerning the suspicion of child…

(a) The state of Rhode Island finds and declares that: (1) Water plays an important role in maintaining a child’s overall health; (2) Drinking water can positively impact children’s cognitive performance; (3) Drinking water can improve children’s fine motor skills and visual atte…

(a) By the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, all public schools maintaining any combination of classes from grade five (5) through grade twelve (12), inclusive, shall make feminine hygiene products available in the school as follows: (1) Feminine products shall be available…

(a) Any person including, but not limited to, students, parents, or school personnel may possess and use a topical sunscreen product, without a physician’s note or prescription, while on school property or at a school-related event, or activity, to avoid overexposure to the sun, …

(a)(1) It shall be the duty of the principal or other person in charge of every public school or private school, college, university, or postsecondary institutions or educational institution within the state, having more than twenty-five (25) pupils, to instruct and train the pup…

(a) Schools play a critical role in addressing and mitigating the effects of child trauma by recognizing the impact of adversity and trauma on students, parents, and staff, and embedding policies and practices that foster well-being and resilience. (b) Through alignment and integ…

(a) There is hereby established a trauma-informed schools commission (hereinafter the “commission”). The commission shall meet at least quarterly or approximately four (4) times per year in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. It shall expire on June 30, 2024. Members of the commission sh…

(a) The department of education (RIDE), in consultation with the department of health, shall develop type 1 diabetes informational materials for the parents and guardians of students. The informational materials shall be made available to each school district, charter school, and…

(a)(1) Each public school shall have a policy regarding the use of personal electronic devices on school grounds and during school-sponsored activities to reduce distractions, maintain environments focused on learning, and protect the privacy and safety of students and staff. Eac…

(a) It shall be the duty of the department of elementary and secondary education or the office of higher education, as appropriate, to formulate a uniform fire code or drill tactics to be used in all schools in accordance with § 16-21-4 and to furnish a sufficient number of copie…

Effective January 1, 2019, all school buildings where students are in attendance for any portion of the day shall be required to have carbon monoxide detectors installed and maintained therein, in accordance with the applicable provisions of the National Fire Protection Associati…

(a) All schools that are approved for the purpose of §§ 16-19-1 and 16-19-2 shall have a school health program that shall be approved by the state director of the department of health and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or the commissioner of higher educati…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a school district shall prohibit at any school within the district: (1) The advertising of any food or beverage that may not be sold on the school campus during the school day. For purposes of this section, food and bevera…