Article 4. Physical Examinations of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 27. >> Chapter 9. >> Article 4.

The governing board of any school district shall make such rules for the examination of the pupils in the public schools under its jurisdiction as will insure proper care of the pupils and proper secrecy in connection with any defect noted by the supervisor of health or his assistant and may tend to the correction of the physical defect.

A parent or guardian having control or charge of any child enrolled in the public schools may file annually with the principal of the school in which he is enrolled a statement in writing, signed by the parent or guardian, stating that he will not consent to a physical examination of his child. Thereupon the child shall be exempt from any physical examination, but whenever there is a good reason to believe that the child is suffering from a recognized contagious or infectious disease, he shall be sent home and shall not be permitted to return until the school authorities are satisfied that any contagious or infectious disease does not exist.

The governing board of any school district shall, subject to Section 49451, provide for the testing of the sight and hearing of each pupil enrolled in the schools of the district. The test shall be adequate in nature and shall be given only by duly qualified supervisors of health employed by the district; or by certificated employees of the district or of the county superintendent of schools who possess the qualifications prescribed by the Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing; or by contract with an agency duly authorized to perform those services by the county superintendent of schools of the county in which the district is located, under guidelines established by the State Board of Education; or accredited schools or colleges of optometry, osteopathic medicine, or medicine. The records of the tests shall serve as evidence of the need of the pupils for the educational facilities provided physically handicapped individuals. The equipment necessary to conduct the tests may be purchased or rented by governing boards of school districts. The state, any agency, or political subdivision thereof may sell or rent any such equipment owned by it to the governing board of any school district upon terms as may be mutually agreeable.

The governing board of any school district shall, subject to Section 49451 and in addition to the physical examinations required pursuant to Sections 100275, 124035, and 124090 of the Health and Safety Code, provide for the screening of every female pupil in grade 7 and every male pupil in grade 8 for the condition known as scoliosis. The screening shall be in accord with standards established by the State Department of Education. The screening shall be supervised only by qualified supervisors of health as specified in Sections 44871 to 44878, inclusive, and Section 49422, or by school nurses employed by the district or the county superintendent of schools, or pursuant to contract with an agency authorized to perform these services by the county superintendent of schools of the county in which the district is located pursuant to Sections 1750 to 1754, inclusive, and Section 49402 of this code, Section 101425 of the Health and Safety Code, and guidelines established by the State Board of Education. The screening shall be given only by individuals who supervise, or who are eligible to supervise, the screening, or licensed chiropractors, or by certificated employees of the district or of the county superintendent of schools who have received in-service training, pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the State Board of Education, to qualify them to perform these screenings. It is the intent of the Legislature that these screenings be performed, at no additional cost to the state, the school district, or the parent or guardian, during the regular schoolday and that any staff time devoted to these activities be redirected from other ongoing activities not related to the pupil's health care. In-service training may be conducted by orthopedic surgeons, physicians, registered nurses, physical therapists, and chiropractors, who have received specialized training in scoliosis detection. Pupils suspected of having scoliosis during the initial screening shall be rescreened by an orthopedic surgeon when there will be no cost to the state, the school district, or the parent or guardian. No person screening pupils for scoliosis pursuant to this section shall solicit, encourage, or advise treatment or consultation by that person, or any entity in which that person has a financial interest, for scoliosis or any other condition discovered in the course of the screening. The governing board of any school district shall provide for the notification of the parent or guardian of any pupil suspected of having scoliosis. The notification shall include an explanation of scoliosis, the significance of treating it at an early age, and the public services available, after diagnosis, for treatment. Referral of the pupil and the pupil's parent or guardian to appropriate community resources shall be made pursuant to Sections 49426 and 49456. No action of any kind in any court of competent jurisdiction shall lie against any individual, authorized by this section to supervise or give a screening, by virtue of this section. In enacting amendments to this section, it is the intent of the Legislature that no participating healing arts licentiate use the screening program for the generation of referrals or for his or her financial benefit. The Legislature does not intend to deny or limit the freedom of choice in the selection of an appropriate health care provider for treatment or consultation.

(a) On and after July 1, 2010, the school district shall provide an information sheet regarding type 2 diabetes to the parent or guardian of incoming 7th grade pupils. The information sheet may be provided to the parent or guardian of incoming 7th graders with the information provided pursuant to Section 48980. The information sheet shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:
  (1) A description of type 2 diabetes.
  (2) A description of the risk factors and warning signs associated with type 2 diabetes.
  (3) A recommendation that pupils displaying or possibly suffering from risk factors or warning signs associated with type 2 diabetes should be screened for type 2 diabetes.
  (4) A description of treatments and prevention methods of type 2 diabetes.
  (5) A description of the different types of diabetes screening tests available.
  (b) The information sheet shall be developed by the State Department of Education in coordination with any other entity the department deems appropriate. The information sheet shall be made available to each school district through the State Department of Education's Web site and any other Web site the department deems appropriate, as well as by providing written copies of the information sheet to the school district upon written request to the department.
  (c) It is the intent of the Legislature that school districts, to the extent that resources or funds, or both, are available, provide information to parents regarding locations at which parents may receive diabetes screening and education services at free or reduced costs from public or private sources.

(a) A pupil, while enrolled in kindergarten in a public school, or while enrolled in first grade in a public school if the pupil was not previously enrolled in kindergarten in a public school, no later than May 31 of the school year, shall present proof of having received an oral health assessment by a licensed dentist, or other licensed or registered dental health professional operating within his or her scope of practice, that was performed no earlier than 12 months prior to the date of the initial enrollment of the pupil.
  (b) The parent or legal guardian of a pupil may be excused from complying with subdivision (a) by indicating on the form described in subdivision (d) that the oral health assessment could not be completed because of one or more of the reasons provided in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).
  (c) A public school shall notify the parent or legal guardian of a pupil described in subdivision (a) concerning the assessment requirement. The notification, at a minimum, shall consist of a letter that includes all of the following:
  (1) An explanation of the administrative requirements of this section.
  (2) Information on the importance of primary teeth.
  (3) Information on the importance of oral health to overall health and to learning.
  (4) A toll-free telephone number to request an application for Healthy Families, Medi-Cal, or other government-subsidized health insurance programs.
  (5) Contact information for county public health departments.
  (6) A statement of privacy applicable under state and federal laws and regulations.
  (d) In order to ensure uniform data collection, the department, in consultation with interested persons, shall develop and make available on the Internet Web site of the department, a standardized notification form as specified in subdivision (c) that shall be used by each school district. The standardized form shall include all of the following:
  (1) A section that can be used by the licensed dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional performing the assessment to record information that is consistent with the information collected on the oral health assessment form developed by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors.
  (2) A section in which the parent or legal guardian of a pupil can indicate the reason why an assessment could not be completed by marking the box next to the appropriate reason. The reasons for not completing an assessment shall include all of the following:
  (A) Completion of an assessment poses an undue financial burden on the parent or legal guardian.
  (B) Lack of access by the parent or legal guardian to a licensed dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional.
  (C) The parent or legal guardian does not consent to an assessment.
  (e) Upon receiving completed assessments, all school districts, by December 31 of each year, shall submit a report to the county office of education of the county in which the school district is located. The report shall include all of the following:
  (1) The total number of pupils in the district, by school, who are subject to the requirement to present proof of having received an oral health assessment pursuant to subdivision (a).
  (2) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who present proof of an assessment.
  (3) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who could not complete an assessment due to financial burden.
  (4) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who could not complete an assessment due to lack of access to a licensed dentist or other licensed or registered dental health professional.
  (5) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who could not complete an assessment because their parents or legal guardians did not consent to their child receiving the assessment.
  (6) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who are assessed and found to have untreated decay.
  (7) The total number of pupils described in paragraph (1) who did not return either the assessment form or the waiver request to the school.
  (f) Each county office of education shall maintain the data described in subdivision (e) in a manner that allows the county office to release it upon request.
  (g) This section does not prohibit any of the following:
  (1) County offices of education from sharing aggregate data collected pursuant to this section with other governmental agencies, philanthropic organizations, or other nonprofit organizations for the purpose of data analysis.
  (2) Use of assessment data that is compliant with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-191) for purposes of conducting research and analysis on the oral health status of public school pupils in California.
  (h) This section does not preclude a school district or county office of education from developing a schoolsite-based oral health assessment program to meet the requirements of this section.
  (i) The Office of Oral Health of the Chronic Disease Control Branch of the State Department of Public Health shall conduct an evaluation of the requirements imposed by this section and prepare and submit a report to the Legislature by January 1, 2010, that discusses improvements in the oral health of children resulting from the imposition of those requirements. The Office of Oral Health may receive private funds and contract with the University of California to fulfill the duties described in this subdivision.
  (j) Funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the activities required by this section shall first be used to offset reimbursement provided to local educational agencies pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code for state-mandated costs imposed by this section.

(a) For purposes of the 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18 school years, a public school, including a charter school, shall add an informational item to its enrollment forms, or amend an existing enrollment form, in order to provide the parent or legal guardian information about health care coverage options and enrollment assistance.
  (b) To satisfy the requirements of subdivision (a), a school may do either of the following:
  (1) Use a template developed pursuant to subdivision (d).
  (2) Develop an informational item or amend an existing enrollment form to provide information about health care coverage options and enrollment assistance.
  (c) A school may include a factsheet with its enrollment forms explaining basic information about affordable health care coverage options for children and families.
  (d) (1) The department shall develop a standardized template for both of the following:
  (A) The informational item or amendment required by subdivision (a).
  (B) The factsheet described in subdivision (c).
  (2) The department shall make any templates developed pursuant to this subdivision available on its Internet Web site on or before August 1, 2015, and shall, upon request, provide written copies of the template to a school district.
  (e) A school district shall not discriminate against a pupil who does not have health care coverage or use any information relating to a pupil's health care coverage or interest in learning about health care coverage in any manner that would bring harm to the pupil or the pupil's family.
  (f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.

A person employed by a school district in a position requiring certification qualifications who holds a valid special credential authorizing the teaching of lipreading or the teaching of the deaf and hard of hearing or a standard teaching credential with specialized preparation in the area of the deaf and hard of hearing or in the area of the speech and hearing handicapped or who holds a certificate of registration to serve as a school audiometrist issued by the State Department of Health Services may, subject to Section 49451, test the hearing of pupils of the district through the use of an audiometer for the purpose of detecting pupils with impaired hearing.

(a) (1) During the kindergarten year or upon first enrollment or entry in a California school district of a pupil at an elementary school, and in grades 2, 5, and 8, the pupil's vision shall be appraised by the school nurse or other authorized person under Section 49452.
  (2) A pupil whose first enrollment or entry occurs in grade 4 or 7 shall not be required to be appraised in the year immediately following the pupil's first enrollment or entry.
  (b) The appraisal shall include tests for visual acuity, including near vision, and color vision; however, color vision shall be appraised once and only on male pupils, and the results of the appraisal shall be entered in the health record of the pupil. Color vision appraisal need not begin until the male pupil has reached the first grade.
  (c) The appraisal may be waived, if the pupil's parents so desire, by their presenting of a certificate from a physician and surgeon, a physician assistant practicing in compliance with Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, or an optometrist setting out the results of a determination of the pupil's vision, including visual acuity and color vision.
  (d) A pupil's vision may be appraised by using an eye chart or any other scientifically validated photoscreening test. Photoscreening tests shall be performed, under an agreement with, or the supervision of, an optometrist or ophthalmologist, by the school nurse or a trained individual who meets requirements established by the department.
  (e) Continual and regular observation of the pupil's eyes, appearance, behavior, visual performance, and perception that may indicate vision difficulties shall be done by the school nurse and the classroom teacher.
  (f) This section shall not apply to a pupil whose parents or guardian file with the principal of the school in which the pupil is enrolling, a statement in writing that they adhere to the faith or teachings of any well-recognized religious sect, denomination, or organization and in accordance with its creed, tenets, or principles depend for healing upon prayer in the practice of their religion.
  (g) The department shall adopt guidelines to implement this section, including training requirements and a method of testing for near vision.

(a) When a defect other than a visual defect has been noted by the supervisor of health or his assistant, a report shall be made to the parent or guardian of the child, asking the parent or guardian to take such action as will cure or correct the defect. Such report, if made in writing, shall not include any recommendation suggesting or directing the pupil to a designated individual for the purpose of curing or correcting any defect referred to in the report.
  (b) When a visual defect has been noted by the supervisor of health or his assistant, a report shall be made to the parent or guardian of the child, asking the parent or guardian to take such action as will correct the defect. Such report, if made in writing, must be made on a form prescribed or approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction and shall not include therein any recommendation suggesting or directing the pupil to a designated individual or class of practitioner for the purpose of correcting any defect referred to in the report.
  (c) The provisions of this section do not prevent a supervisor of health from recommending in a written report that the child be taken to a public clinic or diagnostic and treatment center operated by a public hospital or by the state, county, or city department of public health.

The supervisor of health shall make such reports from time to time as he deems best to the governing board of the school district, or as the board may call for, showing the number of defective children in the schools of the district and the effort made to correct the defects.

When a school district or a county superintendent of schools requires a physical examination as a condition of participation in an interscholastic athletic program, the physical examination may be performed by a physician and surgeon or physician assistant practicing in compliance with Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.