Bill Summary for S 354 (2019-2020)

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Summary date: 

Jun 25 2019

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 354 (Public) Filed Monday, March 25, 2019
AN ACT, CONSISTENT WITH HOUSE BILL 966 OF THE 2019 REGULAR SESSION, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND, CONTINGENT UPON THE PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL 966 OF THE 2019 REGULAR SESSION, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES AND INCREASED FUNDING FOR TUITION GRANTS FOR GRADUATES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS. APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED COMPENSATION INCREASES FOR CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES AND INCREASED FUNDING FOR TUITION GRANTS FOR GRADUATES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS.
Intro. by Ballard, Edwards, Harrington.

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Bill summary

House committee substitute to the 2nd edition makes the following changes. Deletes the content of the previous edition and replaces it with the following. 

Names the act either the Seizure Safe Schools Act of 2019, or Sam’s Law.

Enacts new GS 115C-375.7 to allow the parent of any student to petition a school for the development of a seizure action plan if the student is diagnosed with a seizure disorder and is enrolled in the school. Defines school as a school within a public school unit or a school that meets the requirements of Part 1 (Private Church Schools and Schools of Religious Charter) or Part 2 (Qualified Nonpublic Schools) of Article 39. Public school unit is defined as a local school administrative unit, charter school, regional school, or a school providing elementary or secondary instruction operated by the State Board of Education or the University of North Carolina.

Requires the seizure action plan to be kept on file in the office of a school administrator or school nurse and requires that the plan be available to any school personnel and, with the parent’s permission, any volunteer responsible for supervising the student. Makes the parent and school unit responsible for developing the plan in accordance with policies and procedures developed by the school unit’s governing body and requires the plan to include three specified components. Requires at least one employee in each school in the school to be trained to administer or assist with administering seizure medication. Requires the governing body of each school to adopt (1) minimum training requirements, consistent with specified training guidelines, for employees and volunteers that may supervise students with seizure disorders if the volunteer elects to receive the training; (2) a policy outlining the requirements of an annual seizure education program for all school personnel having direct contact with students in K-12, which must meet specified requirements; and (3) a policy requiring all principals, guidance counselors, and teachers to complete at least one hour of self-study review of seizure disorder materials each school year. Requires displaying a seizure first aid poster in each school. Provides that no governing body of any school, nor its members, employees, designees, agents, or volunteers are liable in civil damages to any party for any act authorized by the statute or for any omission relating to that act, unless the act or omission amounts to gross negligence, wanton conduct, or intentional wrongdoing. 

Amends GS 115C-12 to require the State Board of Education to develop a rule on seizures in accordance with GS 115C-375.7.

Amends GS 115C-47 to require each local board of education to adopt a rule on seizures in accordance with GS 115C-375.7. Amends GS 115C-218.75, GS 115C-238.66, and GS 116-11 to require charter schools, regional schools, the UNC Board of Governors, private church schools or religious charter schools, and qualified nonpublic schools, respectively, to adopt a policy regarding seizures and the rule adopted by the State Board of Education. Enacts new GS 115C-548.5 and GS 115C-556.5 to require  private church schools or schools of religious charter and qualified nonpublic schools to adopt a policy on seizures in accordance with GS 115C-375.7.

Amends GS 115C-564 making home schools exempt from new GS 115C-375.7.

Repeals GS 115C-375.7(a)(2) as enacted by this act, if House Bill 57, An Act to Create a Term for Public Schools that Includes the Various Types of Public Schools in the State and to Codify the North Carolina Virtual Public School Program, becomes law. 

Applies beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

Amends the act's titles.