REFERENCE TITLE: corporal punishment; schools

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-third Legislature

Second Regular Session

2018

 

SB 1457

 

Introduced by

Senators Hobbs: Dalessandro, Peshlakai; Representative Alston

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending Title 15, chapter 1, article 1, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-118; 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 15-118, to read:

START_STATUTE15-118.  Corporal punishment policies; review; definition

A.  If a school district or charter school allows corporal punishment, the school district governing board or the charter school governing body 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 the use of any of the following:

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

2.  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.  Reasonable and necessary force to prevent a pupil from inflicting physical harm on that pupil.

4.  Reasonable and necessary force for self-defense or the defense of others.

5.  Reasonable and necessary force to obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object, a controlled substance or paraphernalia that is within the pupil's possession or control.

C.  For the purposes of this section, "corporal punishment" means inflicting, 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 allowed by subsection B, paragraph 1 of this section, the use of reasonable and necessary force as allowed 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