This bill establishes minimum safety standards for seclusion rooms in schools and creates a one-time grant program to help a local education agency (LEA) bring existing rooms into compliance.
This bill:
- establishes minimum physical standards for seclusion rooms including room size, ceiling height, construction materials, and structural integrity requirements;
- requires proper lighting with fixtures located outside the room and controls that prevent student access;
- mandates adequate ventilation, heating, and cooling systems comparable to other school rooms;
- sets safety requirements including prohibition of dangerous objects, unbreakable windows, and specific door and locking mechanism standards;
- requires audio and video recording equipment that records all activities during seclusion use with one-year retention requirements;
- ensures compliance with state and local fire and building codes;
- applies standards to both existing seclusion rooms and any new school construction that includes seclusion rooms;
- creates a one-time grant program with required matching funds to help an LEA modify existing rooms to meet the new standards;
- prohibits grant funds from being used to construct new seclusion rooms;
- gives the State Board of Education authority to adopt additional rules for safety standards, compliance verification, and grant program administration;
- integrates the new standards into existing policy, documentation, and enforcement requirements; and
- makes conforming changes.