CHAPTER 301
HB 332 – FINAL VERSION
25Mar2009… 0247h
05/27/09 1605s
2009 SESSION
04/10
HOUSE BILL 332
AN ACT establishing a commission to study school discipline.
SPONSORS: Rep. B. Shaw, Hills 16; Rep. K. Shaw, Hills 26; Rep. Reever, Belk 4
This bill establishes a commission to study school discipline.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25Mar2009… 0247h
05/27/09 1605s
09-0737
04/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine
AN ACT establishing a commission to study school discipline.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
301:1 Commission Established. There is established a commission to study school discipline.
301:2 Membership and Compensation.
I. The members of the commission shall be as follows:
(a) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(b) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
(c) The commissioner of the department of education, or designee.
(d) A representative from the New Hampshire School Boards Association, appointed by the association.
(e) Three representatives from the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, representing different areas of expertise, appointed by the association.
(f) Three representatives from the New Hampshire Association of School Principals, one of whom shall represent a high school, one of whom shall represent a middle school, and one of whom shall represent an elementary school, appointed by the association.
(g) Three current public school teachers, one representing a high school, one representing a middle school, and one representing an elementary school, appointed by the governor.
(h) A representative of New Hampshire Legal Assistance, appointed by that organization.
(i) Two parent representatives, one of whom has had experience with having a child disciplined by being kept out of school, appointed by the governor.
(j) A current high school student, appointed by the governor.
(k) A representative from Child and Family Services, appointed by that organization.
II. Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.
301:3 Duties. The commission shall:
I. Examine the use of out-of-school suspensions and the effect on suspended students who miss instructional time.
II. Examine student behaviors or infractions requiring disciplinary action and the types of violations for which students are suspended.
III. Study the frequency of using out-of-school suspensions for nonviolent behavior and infractions which are not drug- or alcohol-related.
IV. Investigate alternative forms of discipline that do not involve removing students from school, such as alternative dispute resolution and positive behavior reinforcement techniques.
V. Study methods for increasing opportunities for suspended students to make up class work missed for disciplinary reasons.
VI. Study any other issue deemed relevant to its objective.
301:4 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named house member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Eleven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
301:5 Report. The commission shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the house clerk, the senate clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2009.
301:6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved: July 31, 2009
Effective Date: July 31, 2009