California Education Code 49076.5 – (a) Notwithstanding Section 49076, each school district shall …
(a) Notwithstanding Section 49076, each school district shall release the information it has specific to a particular pupil’s identity and location that relates to the transfer of that pupil’s records to another school district within this state or any other state or to a private school in this state to a designated peace officer, upon his or her request, when a proper police purpose exists for the use of that information. As permitted by Part 99 (commencing with Section 99.1) of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations, the designated peace officer or law enforcement agency shall show the school district that the peace officer or law enforcement agency has obtained prior written consent from one parent, or provide information indicating that there is an emergency in which the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the pupil or other individuals, or that the peace officer or law enforcement agency has obtained a lawfully issued subpoena or a court order.
(b) In order to protect the privacy interests of the pupil, a request to a school district for pupil record information pursuant to this section shall meet the following requirements:
Terms Used In California Education Code 49076.5
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Parent: means a natural parent, an adopted parent, or legal guardian. See California Education Code 49061
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Pupil record: means any item of information directly related to an identifiable pupil, other than directory information, that is maintained by a school district or required to be maintained by an employee in the performance of his or her duties whether recorded by handwriting, print, tapes, film, microfilm, or other means. See California Education Code 49061
- School district: means any school district maintaining any kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, any public school providing instruction in any kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, the office of the county superintendent of schools, or any special school operated by the department. See California Education Code 49061
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(1) For purposes of this section, “proper police purpose” means that probable cause exists that the pupil has been kidnapped and that his or her abductor may have enrolled the pupil in a school and that the agency has begun an active investigation.
(2) Only designated peace officers and federal criminal investigators and federal law enforcement officers, as defined in § 830.1 of the Penal Code, whose names have been submitted to the school district in writing by a law enforcement agency, may request and receive the information specified in subdivision (a). Each law enforcement agency shall ensure that each school district has at all times a current list of the names of designated peace officers authorized to request pupil record information.
(3) This section does not authorize designated peace officers to obtain any pupil record information other than that authorized by this section.
(4) The law enforcement agency requesting the information shall ensure that at no time shall information obtained pursuant to this section be disclosed or used for a purpose other than to assist in the investigation of suspected criminal conduct or kidnapping. A violation of this paragraph shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.
(5) The designated peace officer requesting information authorized for release by this section shall make a record on a form created and maintained by the law enforcement agency that shall include the name of the pupil about whom the inquiry was made, the consent of a parent having legal custody of the pupil or a legal guardian, the name of the officer making the inquiry, the date of the inquiry, the name of the school district, the school district employee to whom the request was made, and the information that was requested.
(6) Whenever the designated peace officer requesting information authorized for release by this section does so in person, by telephone, or by some means other than in writing, the officer shall provide the school district with a letter confirming the request for pupil record information before any release of information.
(7) A school district, or officer or employee of the school district, shall not be subject to criminal or civil liability for the release of pupil record information in good faith as authorized by this section.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 388, Sec. 2. (AB 733) Effective January 1, 2013.)