Assembly Bill 500 aims to expand the prohibition of corporal punishment in educational settings by applying it not only to public schools but also to charter schools and private schools. The bill renumbers and amends existing statutes related to corporal punishment, specifically redefining the term and clarifying the roles of governing bodies in schools. It establishes that corporal punishment includes actions such as paddling and slapping, while also ensuring that reasonable physical activities associated with athletic training or actions consistent with individualized education programs are not classified as corporal punishment.

Key changes in the bill include the creation of definitions for "governing body" and "school," which encompass public, charter, and private institutions. The bill also modifies the language to ensure that no official, employee, or agent of a school’s governing body may subject a pupil to corporal punishment. Additionally, it mandates that each governing body adopt a policy allowing reasonable and necessary force under specific circumstances, while also clarifying that the bill does not create a separate basis for civil liability against the governing bodies for claims related to the use of force. The act is set to take effect on July 1 following its publication.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 118.305(3)(e), 118.305, 118.31(2), 118.31, 118.31(3)(intro.), 118.31(4), 118.31(5), 118.31(6)