1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 1634 By: Staires |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 24-102, which relates to student searches; |
8| updating statutory language and references; allowing |
| for search of shoes and hand and head coverings of |
9| students; and providing an effective date. |
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12|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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13| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 24-102, is |
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14|amended to read as follows: |
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15| Section 24-102. A. The superintendent, principal, teacher, or |
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16|security personnel of any public school in the State of Oklahoma, |
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17|upon reasonable suspicion, shall have the authority to detain and |
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18|search or authorize the search, of any pupil or property in the |
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19|possession of the pupil when said the pupil is on any school |
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20|premises, or while in transit under the authority of the school, or |
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21|while attending any function sponsored or authorized by the school, |
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22|for dangerous weapons, controlled dangerous substances, as defined |
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23|in the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, intoxicating |
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24|alcoholic beverages, low-point beer, as defined by Section 163.2 of |
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1|Title 37 of the Oklahoma Statutes in the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage |
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2|Control Act, or for missing or stolen property if said the property |
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3|be is reasonably suspected to have been taken from a pupil, a school |
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4|employee or the school during school activities. The search shall |
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5|be conducted by a person of the same sex as the person being |
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6|searched and shall be witnessed by at least one other authorized |
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7|person, said person to be of the same sex if practicable. |
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8| B. The extent of any search conducted pursuant to this section |
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9|shall be reasonably related to the objective of the search and not |
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10|excessively intrusive in light of the age and sex of the student and |
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11|the nature of the infraction. In no event shall a strip search of a |
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12|student be allowed. No student's clothing, except cold weather |
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13|outerwear, shoes, and hand and head coverings, shall be removed |
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14|prior to or during the conduct of any warrantless search. |
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15| C. The superintendent, principal, teacher, or security |
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16|personnel searching or authorizing the search shall have authority |
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17|to detain the pupil to be searched and to preserve any dangerous |
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18|weapons, controlled dangerous substances, intoxicating alcoholic |
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19|beverages, low-point beer, or missing or stolen property that might |
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20|be in the pupil's possession including the authority to authorize |
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21|any other persons they deem necessary to restrain such pupil or to |
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22|preserve any dangerous weapons, controlled dangerous substances, |
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23|intoxicating alcoholic beverages, low-point beer, or missing or |
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24|stolen property. Students found to be in possession of such an item |
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1|shall be subject to the provisions of Section 24-101.3 of this |
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2|title. |
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3| D. Pupils shall not have any reasonable expectation of privacy |
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4|towards school administrators or teachers in the contents of a |
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5|school locker, desk, or other school property. School personnel |
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6|shall have access to school lockers, desks, and other school |
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7|property in order to properly supervise the welfare of pupils. |
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8|School lockers, desks, and other areas of school facilities may be |
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9|opened and examined by school officials at any time and no reason |
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10|shall be necessary for such search. Schools shall inform pupils in |
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11|the student discipline code that they have no reasonable expectation |
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12|of privacy rights towards school officials in school lockers, desks, |
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13|or other school property. |
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14| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. |
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16| 59-1-6700 EK 12/28/22 |
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