Keeping All Students Safe Act
Senate Bill Would Ban Seclusion, Restrict Physical Restraint in Schools Receiving Federal Funds
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- Bans schools that get federal money from locking a student alone in a room, using devices to restrain them, or using drugs to control behavior.
- Allows hands-on restraint only in a true emergency when a student is about to seriously hurt someone, and it must stop as soon as the danger stops.
- Requires training for staff who might restrain students, and schools can’t put “planned restraint” into a kid’s education plan ahead of time.
- Makes schools notify parents the same day and send a written report within 24 hours after any restraint, then hold a meeting within 5 school days.
- Forces states to track and publish yearly data on restraints (including injuries and deaths) and creates grants to help schools reduce restraint use.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
How this policy affects specific groups of people
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articlesLawmakers renew push for federal limits on restraint and seclusion in school
Lawmakers cited a year-long Hearst Newspapers investigation revealing that schools seclude special education students thousands of times a day. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would block schools from using locked rooms or restraints that restrict breathing, such as prone or supine holds.
Restrictions on harmful school practices have stalled in Congress
The Keeping All Students Safe Act would ban seclusion and mechanical restraints like handcuffs in schools and Head Start programs. Despite support from state attorneys general, the bill faces obstacles in a divided Congress where some administrators argue for local control.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Keeping All Students Safe Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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