Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 16-21 - Health and Safety of Pupils
Section 16-21-7. - School health.

§ 16-21-7. School health.
(a) All schools that are approved for the purpose of §§ 16-19-1 and 16-19-2 shall have a school health program that shall be approved by the state director of the department of health and the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or the commissioner of higher education, as appropriate. The program shall provide for the organized direction and supervision of a healthful school environment, health education, and services. The program shall include and provide for the administration of nursing care by certified nurse teachers, as defined in § 16-21-8, as shall be requested, in writing, by the attending physician of any student and authorized, in writing, by the parent or legal guardian of the student. No instruction in the characteristics, symptoms, and the treatment of disease shall be given to any child whose parent or guardian shall present a written statement signed by them stating that the instructions should not be given the child because of religious beliefs.
(b) [Deleted by P.L. 2016, ch. 529, § 1.]
(c) All Rhode Island elementary, middle, and high schools that sell or distribute competitive foods and beverages on the school campus during the school day shall be required to offer only healthy foods and beverages as set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-296, 42 U.S.C. § 1758 et seq., and federal regulations implementing the act promulgated pursuant to the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1779(b). Provided, the Rhode Island board of education or local school committees may adopt more restrictive policies than the ones referenced herein.
(d) Schools may permit the sale of beverages and snacks that do not comply with subsection (c) as part of school fundraising in any of the following circumstances:
(1) The sale of those items takes place off and away from the school campus.
(2) The sale of those items takes place after the end of the school day as defined in subsection (g).
(3) Career and technical schools with culinary arts or food-service programs may request an exemption from the department of elementary and secondary education to enable the limited sale of noncompliant snacks and beverages that have been prepared by culinary students as part of their curriculum. No specially exempted fundraiser foods or beverages may be sold in competition with school meals during the meal service.
(e) The department of elementary and secondary education shall post on its website resources to assist school districts with implementation of this section.
(f) The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop a process to monitor compliance with this section.
(g) Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) “Competitive foods” means all foods and beverages, other than meals reimbursed under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. § 1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. § 1771 et seq.), available for sale to students on the school campus during the school day.
(2) “School campus” means all areas of the property under the jurisdiction of the school that are accessible to students during the school day.
(3) “School day” means the period from midnight before, to sixty (60) minutes after, the end of the official school day.
(h) The standards set forth and referenced in this section shall apply throughout the entire school campus, including, but not limited to, a la carte food sale, school stores, vending machines, and fundraisers held during the school day.
History of Section.G.L. 1938, ch. 182, § 10; P.L. 1949, ch. 2341, § 1; impl. am. P.L. 1951, ch. 2752, § 21; G.L. 1956, § 16-21-7; P.L. 1961, ch. 133, § 2; P.L. 1977, ch. 271, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 231, § 2; P.L. 2006, ch. 234, § 2; P.L. 2007, ch. 80, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 92, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 529, § 1; P.L. 2021, ch. 351, § 3, effective July 12, 2021; P.L. 2021, ch. 352, § 3, effective July 12, 2021.

Structure Rhode Island General Laws

Rhode Island General Laws

Title 16 - Education

Chapter 16-21 - Health and Safety of Pupils

Section 16-21-1. - Transportation of public and private school pupils.

Section 16-21-1.1. - Student registration for transportation.

Section 16-21-2. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-3. - Standards for school building.

Section 16-21-3.1. - Approval.

Section 16-21-4. - Fire, evacuation and lockdown drills required — Failure to comply.

Section 16-21-5. - Uniform fire code or drill tactics — Reports.

Section 16-21-5.1. - Carbon monoxide detectors required in school buildings.

Section 16-21-6. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-7. - School health.

Section 16-21-7.1. - Unhealthy food and beverage advertising prohibited in schools.

Section 16-21-8. - Certified nurse-teacher.

Section 16-21-9. - Health examinations and dental screenings — Reports — Records.

Section 16-21-10. - Scoliosis screening.

Section 16-21-11. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-12. - Dental treatment provided by town or city.

Section 16-21-13. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-14. - Hearing, speech, and vision screenings — Records — Statewide hearing screening program.

Section 16-21-14.1. - Vision screening.

Section 16-21-15. - Eye protective devices.

Section 16-21-16. - Students suspected of narcotic addiction.

Section 16-21-17. - School bus safety programs.

Section 16-21-18. - Students prohibited from bringing or possessing firearms on school premises.

Section 16-21-19. - Special rules for students with disabilities bringing firearms to school.

Section 16-21-20. - Alternative placement and prevention activities.

Section 16-21-21. - Student discipline codes.

Section 16-21-21.1. - Penalties for drug, alcohol or weapons offenses.

Section 16-21-22. - Allergic emergencies — Anaphylaxis — Use of epinephrine — Immunity for those administering.

Section 16-21-23. - School safety teams, school crisis response teams, and school safety assessments.

Section 16-21-23.1. - Model school safety plans and checklists — Development and dissemination.

Section 16-21-23.2. - Threat assessment teams and oversight committees.

Section 16-21-24. - Requirements of school safety plans, school emergency response plans, and school crisis response plans.

Section 16-21-25. - Review of school safety plans — Exemption from open meetings and public records requirements.

Section 16-21-26. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-27. - Alternative education programs.

Section 16-21-28. - Health and wellness subcommittee.

Section 16-21-28.1. - Legislative findings.

Section 16-21-28.2. - Requirements for glucagon administration in a school setting.

Section 16-21-28.3. - Performance standards.

Section 16-21-28.4. - Immunity for those using glucagon.

Section 16-21-28.5. - Training of school personnel.

Section 16-21-28.6. - Administration.

Section 16-21-29. - Repealed.

Section 16-21-30. - Dating violence policy.

Section 16-21-31. - Notice of peanut/tree nut allergies — Posting.

Section 16-21-32. - Peanut/tree nut allergies.

Section 16-21-33. - Safe schools act.

Section 16-21-33.1. - Automatic external defibrillators.

Section 16-21-34. - Statewide bullying policy implemented.

Section 16-21-35. - Opioid-related drug overdose — Use of opioid antagonists — Immunity for those administering.

Section 16-21-36. - Duty to report — Posting child abuse hotline telephone number.

Section 16-21-37. - Water bottle filling stations in new and renovated schools.

Section 16-21-38. - Availability of feminine hygiene products.

Section 16-21-39. - Sun safety.

Section 16-21-40. - Trauma-informed schools act.

Section 16-21-41. - Trauma-informed schools act commission.