H.R. 4247: The Keeping All Students Safe Act.
From the press release from the House Committee on Education and Labor
"...The Keeping All Students Safe Act would establish, for the first time, minimum federal standards to provide equal protections to all students, in every state across the country. It would make clear that physical restraint or locked seclusion should be used only when there is imminent danger of injury and only when imposed by trained staff. It would prohibit mechanical restraints, such as strapping children to chairs, misusing therapeutic equipment to punish students or duct-taping parts of their bodies and any restraint that restricts breathing.
It would also prohibit chemical restraint, which are medications used to control behavior that are not consistent with a doctor’s prescription.
The bill would prohibit school staff from including restraint or seclusion as planned interventions in student’s education plans, known as Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). It would also require schools to notify parents immediately after incidents when restraint or seclusion was used..."
If H.R. 4247 progresses to Federal law, it would apply to all public and private schools which accept Federal funding, and all states would be expected to comply with, if not exceed, the conditions specified in the bill.
Some private schools are seeking exemption from the conditions of the bill, and some advocates are proposing that the Act apply to all schools, public or private, whether Federally funded or not.
For further reading and reference
Status and text page of H.R. 4247 at Thomas.gov
Press Release House Committee on Education & Labor
House Approves Bill to Protect Schoolchildren from Harmful Restraint and Seclusion
March 3, 2010 4:54 PM
Ahead Of House Vote, Private Schools Seek Restraint, Seclusion Exemption
By Michelle Diament
Disabilityscoop
March 2, 2010
Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA)
- Position Statement on Restraint and Seclusion
- Support for APBA Position Statement on Restraint and Seclusion
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
U.S. House floor debate anticipated this week on H.R. 4247: Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Federal Legislation: U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor passes bill to regulate use of restraint and seclusion in U.S. schools
© 2010 Regina G. Claypool-Frey
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