REFERENCE TITLE: schools; corporal punishment

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-first Legislature

Second Regular Session

2014

 

 

SB 1349

 

Introduced by

Senators Hobbs, Dalessandro, Gallardo, Tovar; Representative Steele: Senator Farley; Representatives Alston, Gabaldón

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-116; relating to pupil discipline.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-116, to read:

START_STATUTE15-116.  Corporal punishment policies; review; definition

A.  If a school district or charter school allows corporal punishment, the governing board of the school district or the governing body of the charter school shall review the corporal punishment policy at a public meeting called within one year after the effective date of this section and vote to either retain, revoke or modify the policy.  

B.  A policy on corporal punishment prescribed in this section does not prevent any of the following:

1.  The use of incidental, minor or reasonable physical contact or other actions designed to maintain order and control.

2.  The use of reasonable and necessary force to quell a disturbance or remove a pupil from the scene of a disturbance that threatens physical injury to a person or damage to property.

3.  The use of reasonable and necessary force to prevent a pupil from inflicting physical harm on that pupil.

4.  The use of reasonable and necessary force for self-defense or the defense of others.

5.  The use of reasonable and necessary force to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects, controlled substances or paraphernalia that are within the pupil's possession or control.

C.  For the purposes of this section, "corporal punishment" means the infliction of, or causing the infliction of, physical pain on a pupil as a means of discipline.  Corporal punishment does not include physical pain, injury or discomfort caused by the use of incidental, minor or reasonable physical contact or other actions designed to maintain order and control as permitted in subsection B, paragraph 1 of this section, the use of reasonable and necessary force as permitted by subsection B, paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this section, participation in practice or competition in an interscholastic sport or participation in physical education or an extracurricular activity. END_STATUTE