2019 Code of Virginia
Title 22.1 - Education
Chapter 14 - Pupils
§ 22.1-271.3. Guidelines for school attendance for children infected with human immunodeficiency virus; school personnel training required; notification of school personnel in certain cases

A. The Board of Education, in cooperation with the Board of Health, shall develop, and revise as necessary, model guidelines for school attendance for children infected with human immunodeficiency virus. The first such guidelines shall be completed by December 1, 1989. The Board shall distribute copies of these guidelines to each division superintendent and every school board member in the Commonwealth immediately following completion.

B. Each school board shall, by July 1, 1990, adopt guidelines for school attendance for children with human immunodeficiency virus. Such guidelines shall be consistent with the model guidelines for such school attendance developed by the Board of Education.

C. Every school board shall ensure that all school personnel having direct contact with students receive appropriate training in the etiology, prevention, transmission modes, and effects of blood-borne pathogens, specifically, hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency viruses or any other infections that are the subject of regulations promulgated by the Safety and Health Codes Board of the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program within the Department of Labor and Industry.

D. Upon notification by a school employee who believes he has been involved in a possible exposure-prone incident which may have exposed the employee to the blood or body fluids of a student, the division superintendent shall contact the local health director who, upon immediate investigation of the incident, shall determine if a potentially harmful exposure has occurred and make recommendations, based upon all information available to him, regarding how the employee can reduce any risks from such exposure. The division superintendent shall share these recommendations with the school employee. Except as permitted by § 32.1-45.1, the division superintendent and the school employee shall not divulge any information provided by the local health director regarding such student. The information provided by the local health director shall be subject to any applicable confidentiality requirements set forth in Chapter 2 (§ 32.1-35 et seq.) of Title 32.1.

1989, c. 613; 1997, c. 685; 2003, c. 1.