Contact your legislators here to show your support for federal bills that can help end harmful, traumatic crisis management practices in school.
State Legislative Heat Map
Click on a state to jump to active or pending legislation in that state. The states in red are hot right now. Those in green are where recent progress was made.
To learn about the bills that are active in your state, click here
Federal Legislation
Creating Access and Resources in Education (CARE) for Student Mental Health Act S.4041
This bill aims to close the gap between schools in need and available mental health services, by clarifying the distinction, purpose, and allowable activities of eligible federal grants, requiring the U.S. Department of Education to improve technical assistance for potential grantees, support partnerships between colleges, universities, and school districts to increase the number of trained mental health professionals, and authorize the School-Based Mental Health Services Program that assists high-need school districts to recruit, hire, and retain school-based mental health personnel for students to remain healthy, engaged, and safe at school.
The Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act 2023 (H.R. 6202 / S. 3214 )
This bill would prohibit federal funds from being used to hire or maintain police in K-12 schools, diverting that funding toward other uses related to school safety within applicable grant programs. The bill would establish a $5 billion grant program to support the hiring of counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and other personnel. The grant would also support schools in implementing programs to improve school climate and move away from policies that criminalize students and push them out of school. States and school districts will have incentives to end the criminalization of young people, particularly Black and Brown students, Native American and Latino students, immigrant students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students and other marginalized students, and invest in creating safe and nurturing learning environments for all students.
The Keeping All Students Safe Act (S.1750 / H.R. 3470)
This bill would prohibit any federally funded school from secluding a child or using dangerous restraint practices. It would provide oversight related to incidents of restraining students and equip school personnel with training to address school-expected behavior with evidence-based, proactive strategies. It would also increase transparency, oversight, and enforcement to prevent future abuse and death of students across the nation.
Protecting Our Students in Schools Act (H.R. 3596 / S.1762)
This bill would prohibit the practice of corporal punishment in federally funded schools, establish numerous enforcement protections, and create a federal grant program for states and school districts to improve school climate and culture. Corporal punishment – the act of inflicting physical pain as a form of discipline – includes striking, paddling, spanking, and other forms of violence. Research convincingly demonstrates that corporal punishment is ineffective and physically, psychologically, and emotionally harmful.
Ending PUSHOUT Act
Strengthens data collection related to exclusionary discipline practices in schools and discriminatory application of such practices, and prevents the criminalization and pushout of students from school as a result of educational barriers
Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act 2022
Aims to prevent institutional child abuse, neglect, and death by first increasing oversight and data transparency of youth residential treatment programs that purport to provide ‘treatment’ to foster youth, children from the juvenile justice systems, youth with disabilities, migrant youth, and youth placed directly by their parents or mental health professionals. The prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse happening in youth residential programs have child advocates calling for more transparency within these institutions. Send your legislators a message showing your support for this bipartisan federal bill!
Safe Schools Improvement Act (S.3105)
This bill would require schools to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including conduct based on a student’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion. The bill would ensure schools focus on effective prevention programs in order to better prevent and respond to incidents of bullying and harassment both in school and online. Students, parents, and educational professionals would receive education regarding prohibited bullying and harassment and complaint procedures.
State Legislation
California
California: Short-term residential therapeutic programs: dashboard: seclusion or behavior restraints (S.1043)
This bill would require residential therapeutic facilities to publish data on the use of restraint and seclusion on a public dashboard on its website. It would also require parents or guardians to be notified when restraints and seclusion are used on minors.
California SB 483: Pupil rights: prone restraint
Aimes to prohibit the use of prone restraint, whereby a student is physically or mechanically restrained in a face down position, in California schools. Current state legislation allows prone restraint to be used in schools by trained personnel, stipulating that school personnel must observe the student for “any sign of physical distress” and that the student’s hands cannot be restrained behind their back. Senate Bill 483 expands on the protection of current legislation by banning all uses of prone restraint.
California: (AB 2806) Child care and developmental services: preschool: expulsion and suspension: mental health services: reimbursement rates.
This bill would revise provisions relating to expulsion or unenrollment of a child from a state preschool program. It would require the respective departments and Child Care Providers United (CCPU) to establish a joint labor-management committee to discuss suspension and expulsion practices among family child care providers and make recommendations related to prohibiting the expulsion or suspension of a child. It would increase state data collection requirements, develop state guidelines and provide support for staff training for programs with high numbers of suspension and expulsion.
Colorado
Colorado H B23-1191 Prohibits Corporal Punishment of Children
Prohibits a person employed by or volunteering in a public school, a state-licensed child care center, a family child care home, or a specialized group facility from imposing corporal punishment on a child. Corporal punishment is defined as the willful infliction of, or wilfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a child.
Colorado: Supportive Learning Environments for K-12 Students
Requires the Department of Education to collect data related to chronic absenteeism rates, the number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions, the number of expulsions, the number of students handcuffed or restrained, the number of referrals to law enforcement, and the number of school-related arrests. Requires the Department of Education to create school district profiles relating to school climate. Increases restrictions on the use of restraints. Provides additional training for school staff. Develops new policies regarding hiring, training, and evaluating school resource officers. Provide an additional $2 million to continue the expelled and at-risk student services program.
Idaho
Idaho HB 281a: Act to revise provisions regarding classroom behavior and prohibit certain disciplinary actions.
Aims to prohibit corporal punishment as a classroom punishment method, prohibit restraint and seclusion as a form of discipline, clarify that restraint and seclusion can only be used in emergency situations, require the state department of education to prepare resources and training for staff, and require all school districts, public charter, and private schools to have a restraint and seclusion policy.
Illinois
Illinois: Prohibit Corporal Punishment in Private Schools (HB 4175)
House Bill 4175 aims to prohibit corporal punishment in private schools. This would implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that Illinois public schools are already subject to. Corporal punishment is defined as slapping or paddling a student, the prolonged maintenance of a student in a physically painful position, or the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire: AN ACT relative to out-of-home placements for children (SB 417-FN)
This bill revises criteria for out-of-home placement of children under the Child Protection Act and other juvenile statutes and establishes an order of preference based on placement with the child’s siblings and proximity to the child’s community of origin.
New York
New York: The Keeping All New York Students Safe Act A10644
This bill aims to prevent and reduce the use of seclusion and physical restraint in schools; prohibits the use of seclusion, mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and dangerous restraints that restrict breathing; prohibits corporal punishment; provides for more rapid notice to parents if restraints or seclusion is used on a student; staff shall receive annual training on the school’s policies and procedures related to the use of timeout and physical restraint, including evidence-based positive, proactive problem-solving interventions, crisis intervention and prevention procedures and de-escalation techniques.
Oregon
Oregon: Senate Bill 790:Relating to violations of laws prohibiting harming students; amending ORS 419B.005; and declaring an emergency.
Modifies definition of “abuse” for purposes of child abuse to include violations of existing laws prohibiting infliction of corporal punishment and use of restraint and seclusion on students.
Washington
Washington (HB 1239): An Act relating to establishing a simple and uniform system for complaints related to, and instituting a code of educator ethics for, conduct within or involving public elementary and secondary schools.
This bill aims to remove teachers from the list of caregivers who are permitted to physically discipline students. HB 1239 also states that the superintendent of public instruction will establish a simple classification of complaints involving the elementary and secondary education system. Complaints may be submitted by any individual who has first-hand knowledge of a violation of federal, state, or local laws, policies and procedures, or codes of conduct related to public elementary and secondary education. Lastly, the Washington professional educator standards board and the paraeducator board will provide recommendations for the code of educator ethics to the appropriate committees by January 31, 2024.
