2021 -- H 5700

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LC001586

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- STUDENT PRIVACY ON SCHOOL-OWNED

TECHNOLOGY

     Introduced By: Representatives Speakman, and Ajello

     Date Introduced: February 24, 2021

     Referred To: House Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by

adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 110

STUDENT PRIVACY IN TAKE-HOME TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

     16-110-1. Definitions.

     For the purposes of this chapter:

     (1) "Device" means any computer, including laptop or tablet computers, or other electronic

device owned or maintained by the educational institution and provided to a student pursuant to a

take-home technology program.

     (2) "Educational institution" or "school" means a private or public institution that offers

participants, students, or trainees an organized course of study or training that is academic, trade-

oriented or preparatory for gainful employment in a recognized occupation and shall include any

person acting as an agent of the institution.

     (3) "Internet filtering measures" means the use of a specific technology or program to block

or filter access to websites on the Internet.

     (4) "Location tracking" means a global positioning service or other mapping, locational, or

directional information service, used to determine the location of the device in real time or

historically.

     (5) "Remote access" means the ability to access a computer from a remote location,

including the ability to view a computer's network, desktop or files from an external location or

server, as well as the ability to open, modify, or delete programs or activate any visual or aural

recording or monitoring devices.

     (6) "Take-home technology program" means any program wherein a device is provided to

a student for overnight or at-home use.

     (7) "Student" means any student, participant, or trainee, whether full-time or part-time, in

an organized course of study at an educational institution.

     16-110-2. Optional participation in take-home technology programs.

     (a) No educational institution shall compel or require a student to participate in a take-

home technology program in the absence of a signed opt-in agreement.

     (b) A valid opt-in agreement shall identify, with specificity:

     (1) The precise subset of data on the device to which access is being granted;

     (2) The name of the school employee(s) or third party to whom the authority to access the

device is being granted;

     (3) The name of any third party to whom data is being sold, shared, or otherwise

transferred; and

     (4) The purpose(s) for which the school employee(s) or third party is being granted access

to the device or for which data is being sold, shared, or otherwise transferred.

     (c) No device or other educational benefit may be withheld from, or punitive measure taken

against, a student or their parent or legal guardian based in whole or in part upon a student's refusal

to open, close, or maintain an e-mail or other electronic communications or social media account

with a specific service provider.

     (d) Where a take-home technology program is offered at an educational institution, the

program shall comply with chapter 104 of this title.

     (e) When a device is permanently returned by a student, the educational institution or third

party who provided it shall, without otherwise accessing the data on the device, fully erase all the

data stored on the device and return the device to its default factory settings.

     16-110-3. Use of data on take-home technology.

     (a) Where an educational institution or third party provides a student with a technological

device pursuant to a take-home technology program, no school employee or third party may access

such a device or the data thereupon, either remotely or in person, except in accordance with the

provisions of this chapter.

     (b) No school employee or third party may access any data input into, stored upon, or sent

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or received by a student's device, including its browser, keystroke or location history, unless:

     (1) A school employee or third party has been authorized to access specific data by a

student and their parent or legal guardian pursuant to a valid opt-in agreement, and access is limited

to that purpose;

     (2) A school employee has reasonable suspicion that the student has violated or is violating

a school policy and that data on the device contains evidence of the suspected violation, subject to

the following limitations:

     (i) Prior to searching a student's device based on reasonable suspicion, the school employee

shall document the reasonable suspicion and notify the student's parent or legal guardian of the

suspected violation and what data will be accessed in searching for evidence of the violation;

     (ii) Searches of a student's device based upon a reasonable suspicion of a school policy

violation shall be strictly limited to finding evidence of the suspected policy violation; and

     (iii) Where a student is suspected of illegal conduct, no search may occur unless a judicial

warrant has been secured, even if the student is also suspected of a related or unrelated violation of

school policy;

     (3) A school employee or law enforcement official reasonably suspects the student has

engaged or is engaging in illegal conduct, reasonably suspects data on the device contains evidence

of the suspected illegal conduct, and has secured a judicial warrant for a search of the device;

     (4) Doing so is necessary to update or upgrade the device's software and access is limited

to that purpose; or

     (5) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

limited to that purpose.

     16-110-4. Follow up required after accessing a service.

     (a) Within seventy-two (72) hours of accessing a device's location tracking technology in

response to an imminent threat to life or safety, the school employee or law enforcement official

who accessed the device shall provide the student whose device was accessed, their parent or legal

guardian and the educational institution a written explanation of the precise threat that prompted

the access and what data and features were accessed.

     (b) No school employee or third party may use a device's location tracking technology to

track a device's real-time or historical location, unless:

     (1) Such use is ordered pursuant to a judicial warrant;

     (2) The student to whom the device was provided, or their parent or legal guardian, has

notified a school employee or law enforcement official in writing that the device is missing or

stolen; or

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     (3) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

limited to that purpose.

     16-110-5. Remote access prohibited.

     (a) No educational institution or third party shall activate or access any audio or video

receiving, transmitting, or recording functions on a student's device, unless:

     (1) A student initiates a video chat or audio chat for educational purposes and access is

limited to that purpose;

     (2) The activation and/or access is ordered pursuant to a judicial warrant; or

     (3) Doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life or safety and access is

limited to that purpose.

     (b) Within seventy-two (72) hours of accessing a device's audio or video receiving,

transmitting, or recording functions in response to an imminent threat to life or safety, the school

employee or law enforcement official who accessed the device shall provide the student whose

device was accessed, their parent or legal guardian and the educational institution a written

explanation of the precise threat that prompted the access and what data and features were accessed.

     (c) This section shall not apply to video chats, audio chats or file transfers initiated by a

student for educational purposes and with the consent of a parent or guardian.

     16-110-6. Reasonable suspicion required for searches.

     (a) No educational institution shall otherwise engage in remote access to search the

contents of a device absent reasonable suspicion that a student has engaged in misconduct.

     (b) Educational institutions shall, as soon as practicable, but no later than forty-eight (48)

hours after a search has taken place, notify a student's parent or legal guardian in writing that a

search was conducted, and the reasons for the search.

     (c) This shall not include instances when the student's parent or legal guardian consents to

a search after being provided a specific reason for the request.

     16-110-7. Parental disabling of Internet filtering software.

     Every educational institution issuing a device shall allow parents and/or legal guardians to

request that a blocked website be unblocked in a timely manner in accordance with any established

procedures pursuant to chapter 21.6 of this title.

     16-110-8. Location tracking of devices prohibited.

     No educational institution shall engage in location tracking of a device without the written

consent of a child's parent or legal guardian, unless the device has been reported stolen and a police

report has been filed with the local police department, a student has failed to return the device to

the institution in a timely manner, or doing so is necessary in response to an imminent threat to life

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or safety.

     16-110-9. Penalties.

     (a) In any civil action alleging a violation of this chapter, the court may:

     (1) Award to a prevailing applicant or student declaratory relief, damages, and reasonable

attorneys' fees and costs; and

     (2) Award injunctive relief against any school or agent of any educational institution that

or who commits or proposes to commit a violation of this chapter.

     (b) The rights provided a parent or legal guardian under this chapter shall accrue to any

student who is eighteen (18) years of age or older.

     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 -- STUDENT PRIVACY ON SCHOOL-OWNED

TECHNOLOGY

***

     This act would provide that no educational institution without an opt-in shall compel

students to participate in a take-home technology program (e.g., computers). This act would also

provide student privacy rights in the digital information contained on the computer. Access to the

students' information on the computer by school officials, law enforcement and third parties is

limited to specified circumstances.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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