2006 -- H 6899

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LC00605

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2006

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A N A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION

     Introduced By: Representative Thomas Winfield

     Date Introduced: January 25, 2006

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 16-23-1, 16-23-2 and 16-23-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-

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23 entitled "Textbooks" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     16-23-1. Changes in school books. -- A change may be made in the school books in the

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public schools of any city or town or regional school district by a vote of a majority of all the

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members of the school committee, notice of the proposed change having been given, in writing, at

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a previous regular meeting of the committee; provided, that no change is made in any textbook in

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the public schools of any city or town or regional school district more often than once in three (3)

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years five (5) years, unless by the consent of the department of elementary and secondary

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education.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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the school committee may prescribe.

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

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

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and supplies to be loaned to the pupils of the public schools free of charge, including consumable

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textbooks usually, but not limited to, those textbooks commonly used in grades K-3, subject to

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

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

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

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prescribed by the school committee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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     16-23-3. Published textbook list. -- The commissioner shall publish annually, not later

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than March 1st of each year, a list of textbooks in use in the public schools in the fields of

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mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, English/language arts and history/social studies

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to all students in grades K-12. The published list must include the same books, if available, for

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five (5) consecutive years. The list shall be published for the purpose of the loan of the textbooks

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to all resident pupils as provided for in section 16-23-2 and shall not include any textbooks of a

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sectarian nature or containing sectarian material. All schools in this state must submit their

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textbook orders not later than July 1st in each year.

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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

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     This act would require the commissioner of education to publish the annual list of

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textbooks in use in the public schools not later than March 1st of each year, require that the books

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on the list remain on the list for five consecutive years, if available, and allow schools to submit

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their book orders not later than July 1st of each year. The act would also require school

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committees to pay for consumable textbooks.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC00605

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