Related to prohibited and permissible isolation and restraint of students:
(1) Refers to "permissible isolation and restraint" rather than "limited isolation and restraint."
(2) Permits physical restraint (but not isolation) when a student's behavior poses an imminent likelihood of serious harm to property.
(3) Removes the discontinuation of student isolation by staff as a permissible practice during the provision of educational services.
(4) Removes the deadline by which isolation room doors must remain unlocked to the occupants, and the associated waiver provisions.
(5) Removes the deadline by which isolation rooms must be removed or repurposed.
(6) Restores language from current law that specifies that an individualized education program (IEP) or section 504 plan must not include the use of isolation or physical restraint as a planned behavior intervention unless a student's individual needs require more specific advanced educational planning and the student's parent or guardian agrees; and removes language stating that neither a student nor the student's parent or guardian may consent, or be asked to consent, to the use of isolation or restraint that is prohibited.
Related to notifications:
(7) Requires that staff notify the principal, other building administrator, or designee, of the provider of public educational services about the incident of a room clear, immediately following the return of students from a room clear (as is required for incidents of isolation and restraint).
(8) Directs the principal, other building administrator, or designee, of the provider of public educational services to notify the parent or guardian of a student who was isolated or restrained, and the parents or guardians of all students impacted by a room clear, about the incident, on the same calendar day as the incident (rather than directing notification to the parent or guardian of a student who was isolated or restrained within 24 hours of the incident).
(9) Specifies that, when possible, the principal, other building administrator, or designee, of the provider of public educational services must send written documentation of an incident to the parent or guardian via email on the same calendar day as the incident (which is in addition to the requirement to send the written documentation within three business days).
Related to incident reviews:
(10) Requires that all students impacted by a room clear be provided with the opportunity to meet with a counselor, nurse, psychologist, or social worker to reflect, process, and recover as soon as practicable following their return from a room clear (as is required for students released from isolation or restraint).
(11) Adds that a team of staff must review an incident of a room clear, as soon as practicable following the return of students from a room clear (as is required for incidents of isolation and restraint).
Related to incident reports:
(12) Adds to the written incident report information about whether the student who was isolated, restrained, or caused the emergency that resulted in a room clear has either an IEP or behavioral intervention plan and, if so, whether the program or plan was followed.
Related to behavioral intervention planning:
(13) Requires that behavioral intervention planning activities be completed for students who caused emergencies that resulted in room clear (as is required for students who are isolated and restrained).
(14) Specifies that, when a student has an IEP, the behavioral intervention plan must be developed and modified in accordance with the student's IEP.
Related to professional development plans:
(15) Adds that staff professional development plans must include classroom management techniques that correspond with already-required professional development on evidence-based, trauma-informed, student-centered, proactive crisis prevention and intervention practices that are less restrictive than isolation and restraint.
Related to definitions:
(16) Specifies that, in addition to other meanings, "likelihood of serious harm" means "a substantial risk that physical harm will be inflicted by a student upon the property of others, as evidenced by behavior that has caused substantial loss or damage to the property of others."
(17) Changes the definition of "physical escort" to mean "the temporary touching or holding of a student's hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, or back by staff, without the use of force, for the purpose of directing the student to a safe or otherwise appropriate location" (due to removing the phrase "without the use of force").
(18) Removes from the definition of "prohibited isolation and restraint," that the term includes isolation, beginning August 2, 2025.
Related to a report on use of isolation:
(19) Requires the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) to report, by December 1, 2024, to the Legislature with: (a) the results of a study on the implementation of requirements related to prohibited and permissible uses of student isolation and isolation rooms; and (b) recommendations for prohibiting or further limiting the use of student isolation and isolation rooms.
(20) Specifies the minimum questions that the JLARC study must examine, that JLARC must review of available data and reports, and that JLARC must conduct interviews with staff and parents of students.
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