House Bill No. by Representative Mack seeks to amend existing laws concerning the management of students with exceptionalities, specifically focusing on the prohibition of seclusion and seclusion rooms in public schools. The bill establishes strict guidelines for the use of physical restraint, allowing it only as a last resort and by trained personnel. It mandates the installation of cameras in special education classrooms to enhance transparency and requires comprehensive reporting of any incidents involving physical restraint, including immediate parental notification and detailed incident reports. The bill also introduces new definitions and training requirements for school staff involved in crisis intervention, emphasizing evidence-based practices to ensure student safety.

Key amendments include the removal of previous provisions that permitted seclusion under certain circumstances and a reduction in the threshold for reviewing a student's behavior intervention plan from five to three incidents of restraint. Additionally, the bill requires public school governing authorities to submit annual guidelines on physical restraint to the state Department of Education (DOE), which will maintain a publicly accessible database of reported incidents. The DOE is also tasked with developing a crisis intervention training program for school personnel, further promoting the use of evidence-based techniques in managing student behavior. Overall, the legislation aims to enhance the safety and oversight of physical restraint practices in schools.

Statutes affected:
HB237 Original: 17:7(5), 17:1(B)(3), 17:1948(A), 17:3996(B)(29), 17:1948(G), 17:3911(B)(4)