| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §254, sub-§11 is enacted to read: |
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| | 11.__Statewide standards for behavior.__In consultation with | organizations representing school boards, school administrators, | teachers, parents and other interested local officials and | community members, the commissioner shall develop statewide | standards for responsible and ethical student behavior.__The | standards must require annual reporting of incidents of violent | and harmful behavior by or against students to the department by | school administrative units.__The department shall provide forms | for reporting. |
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| | Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§§15, 16 and 17 are enacted to read: |
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| | 15.__Adoption of student code of conduct.__With input from | educators, administrators, parents, students and community | members, they shall adopt a district-wide student code of conduct | consistent with the statewide standards for student behavior | developed under section 254, subsection 11.__The student code of | conduct must: |
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| A.__Define unacceptable student behavior; |
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| B.__Establish standards of student responsibility for | behavior; |
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| C.__Prescribe consequences for violation of the student code | of conduct, including first-time violations, when | appropriate; |
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| D.__Describe appropriate procedures for referring students | in need of special services to those services; and |
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| E.__Establish criteria to determine when further assessment | of a current individual education plan is necessary, based | on removal of the student from class. |
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| The school board is responsible for ensuring that school | officials inform students, parents and community members of the | student code of conduct. |
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| | 16. Crisis response plan.__Working with local public safety, | mental health and law enforcement officials, they shall develop a | crisis response plan to deal with crises and potential crisis | situations involving violent acts by or against students in each | school in the school administrative unit. |
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