Why can't we be friends?

As the start of a new school year quickly approaches, the state of Missouri is taking greater measures to ensure that its students are as safe as possible both in and out of the classroom. On July 14th, Governor Jay Nixon signed into law the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act. The law, which takes effect on August 28th, is the first of its kind in the nation, and states that no teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a work-related internet site unless such site is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian. Also, no teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a nonwork-related internet site which allows exclusive access with a current or former student. Due to these provisions, the legislation has earned the nickname, the "Facebook Law." Critics of the new law say that the wording of the law needs clarification. For example, does former student mean someone who a teacher had as a student last year that has not yet graduated, or does it mean someone who a teacher had twenty years ago? If, according to the law,  the definition of former student includes the latter, I, along with several other teachers will be required to de-friend numerous facebook friends. While I would never "friend" a student who is still in school, I see nothing wrong with doing so if a student has graduated. Many teachers, including myself, like to stay in touch with former students to see how things are going. We enjoy hearing about all of their accomplishments in life after they leave high school. While I fully support the intent of Missouri's new law, I do have problems with it's clarity. It appears as though this new legislation could possibly punish teachers who have never done anything wrong. Until we know how the law will be fully implemented, former students who want to reconnect with their teachers may be left wondering, why can't we be friends?