LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
126
JANUARY 11, 2026 RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 719 - L.D. 1097
Resolve, to Require the Department of Education to Convene a Group to
Develop Best Practices for De-escalation and Behavior Intervention
Sec. 1. Convening of group to develop best practices. Resolved: That the
Department of Education shall convene teachers and other educators and experts in de-
escalation and behavior intervention to develop best practices for training in the following
topics:
1. Positive behavior interventions;
2. Communicative intent of behaviors;
3. Alternatives to restrictive procedures, including techniques to identify events and
environmental factors that may escalate behavior;
4. De-escalation methods;
5. Standards for using restraint and seclusion procedures;
6. Obtaining emergency medical assistance;
7. The physiological and psychological effect of restraint and seclusion;
8. Monitoring and responding to a child's physical signs of distress;
9. The timely reporting and documenting of each incident involving the dangerous
behavior of a student and the law governing dangerous behavior prevention and
intervention under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6555; and
10. Positive behavior strategies.
The department shall distribute the best practices for training in de-escalation and
behavior intervention to all school administrative units in the State no later than September
1, 2026.
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